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THE 



CELEBRATED CENTURY SERMON 



REV. NATHANIEL HOWE 



HOFKINTON, MASS. 



TOGETHER WITH 



A MEMOIR OF HIS LIFE, 



BY ELTAS NASON, A. M. 



CENTURY SERMON, 



DELIVERED IN HOPKINTON, MASS. 



LORD'S DAY, DECEMBER 24, 1815 



NATHANAEL HOWE, A.M. 

PASTOR OF THE CHURCH. 



"Yea, I THIWK IT MEET, A9 LONG AS I AM IN THIS TAEEB^ACLE, 
TO STIR YOU UP, BY PUTTING YOU IN REMEMBRANCE." 

The Apostle Peter. 



FOURTH EDITION. 
WITH A MEMOIR OF THE AUTHOR AND EXPLANATORY NOTES, 

BY ELIAS NASON, A. M. 



.^^^^^^''"^«^, 




BOSTON: 

PUBLISHED BY JOHN P. JEWETT & CO. 

17 AND 19 CORNHILL. 
18 51. 

1 






Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1851, by 

Elias Nason and John Eitch, 
in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of Massachusetts. 



andoter: j. d. flago, 

STEREOTYPER AND PRINTER. 



MEMOIR 

OF THE 

HEV. NATHANIEL HOWE, 

OF HOPKTXTON, MASS. 



"Mark the pekfect man, and behold the upright; for the end of 

THAT MAN IS PEACE." — David. 

The subject of this Memoir was a remarkable man. The cast of his mind 
was original and severe. The bent of his genius was to be useful to his 
fellow-men ; and the leading features in his compact and massive character 
stood forth in such distinct rehef, as to leave an indelible unpress on the 
moral aspect of the community in which he Uved. 

He was one among a class of divines now rapidly passing away, who have 
magnified then- office ; who 

" Ne'er have changed, nor wished to change their place," , 

but whose names are identified with the names of the towns where they 
reside ; and this brief notice of his Hfe, though destitute of striking inci- 
dent, will, it is hoped, prove acceptable, not only to those who knew liim, 
and who hold his memory dear ; but also to those young clergjTnen who are 
rising up to fill the places of "the great and good " of other days. 

Mr. Howe was born in Linebrook parish, in Ipswich, Mass., on the 6th 
of October, 1764. 

He was the third son of Captain Abraham and Lucy (Appleton) Howe, 
from whom he received a sound physical constitution, and that early moral 
culture which was to give shape and direction to his whole life. 

Although diffident and bashful in his boyhood, he was noted for his con- 
scientious regard for truth ; and his parents, discovering in him an unusual 



aptitude to learn, sent him to Dummer Academyi at Byfield, then under 
the care of Mr. Samuel Moody, to prepare for college. 

On leaving this place, he studied for a while with the Rov. Mr. Leslie of 
Linebrook ; and then with the Rev. Mr. E. Bradford of Ipswich, with a 
view to fit himself to enter college two classes in advance. 

It was under the faithful instruction of this latter gentleman, for whom he 
always entertained the kindest regard, that his mind was impressed with a 
deep sense of his condition as a sinner, and of his obligations to God ; and 
was brought, through penitence and faith in Christ, to entertain that " hope 
which maketh not ashamed." 

He soon after made a public profession of religion, and united with ]\Ir. 
Bradford's chui'ch, at Ipswich. 

In September, 1 784, he entered, by the advice and reconmiendation of 
Mr. Bradford, the junior class at Nassau Hall, in Princeton, N. J., of which 
the celebrated Dr. Witherspoon from Scotland, was then president. 

Having remained at Princeton one year, he asked and obtained, an hon- 
orable dismission ; and tlien entered the senior class of Harvard University, 
where he was graduated in 1786. His standing in college as a scholar was 
respectable, and his moi'al character -without reproach. 

Although his residence at Nassau Hall was brief, he seems to have pro- 
fited much by the eloquent and impressive religious instruction of Dr. With- 
erspoon, and to have made great advancement in the divine life. 

He was always very fond of quoting from Dr. Witherspoon ; and one of 
his sayings : " Never begin to speak until you have something to say, and 
leave off when you have done," he fairly carried into practice through his 
whole life. 

On leaving college, Mr. Howe spent some time in teaching school in his 
native town ; and then entered on his course of theological study, under the 
tuition of Dr. Hart, of Connecticut ; which he, however, completed under 
the tlirection of Dr. Emmons, of Franklin, Mass. From this distinguished 
(fivine, who continued his intimate friend through life, he received, not only 
a clear elucidation of the Calvinistic system of divinity ; but also, in part, 
that severe style of thought and expression which sometimes bordered upon 
eccentricity. He was not an imitator ; and yet, in his close intimacy with 
Dr. Emmons, who was the oracle of theological students of that day, he no 
doubt, unconsciously, imbibed of him many of those peculiar mental habits, 
for which both were so remarkable. 

On becoming a licenciate, he preached at Londonderry and Fi-ancistown, 
N. H., at Hampton, Conn., and at Grafton, Mass. He received a call to 
settle over the church of this latter place, which he judged it prudent to 
decline. 



1 Two large pear-trees, which he planted while a member of Dummer, now overshadow 
with tlieir hraaches the ancient house at Linebrook, where he was born. 



In January, 1791, he began to preacli at Hopkinton as a candidate ; and 
in May following, received a unanimous call from the church to settle as its 
pastor. The citizens of the town desired, however, that he should admit 
children to baptism whose parents were in the " half-way-covenant : " (for 
an account of which, see his " Century Sermon ; ") but finding him opposed to 
it, they finally united in the call of the church, and he was settled as min- 
ister for life, October 5, 1791, with a salary of £70 ; i together with " the 
improvement (i e. use) of the ministerial land."^ £200 were also allowed 
him as a " settlement." 

In answer to the call, Mr. Howe says : " At my first coming to tliis town, 
things appeared gloomy, but as I became acquainted with the people, that 
gloom vanished, and the town appeared more agreeable. When I consider 
the hannony of the church, the unanimity of the town, their generosity in 
respect to my support, added to that spirit of candor which seemed to pre- 
vail in our public conference-meeting, I am induced to accept your invi- 
tation." 

The ordination sermon was preached by his venerated instructor, the Rev. 
Mr. Bradford of Ipswich. 

About three months after his settlement, Mr. Howe was married to Olive, 
the sixth daughter of Col. John Jones ^ of Hopkinton, by whom he had the 
following children, namely : Appleton, ^ born November 26, 1792, and now 
a distinguished physician of WejTnouth, Mass. ; Eliza, born June 4, 1794, 
and died of consumption, December 27, 1815 ; Mary Jones, born Feb- 
ruary 2, 1802, was married to the Rev. Samuel RusseU of Boylston, and 
died November 26, 1836 ; and Lucy Ann, born August 27, 1805, and was 
married to Mr. John Fitch, son of Deacon Elijah Fitch, of whom honorable 
mention is made in the " Century Sermon." 



1 This salary, though it afterwards depreciated in actual value about one half, was never 
changed. It was a narrow-minded policy on the part of the town thus to withhold from its 
minister a fair support. It compelled him, in his own quaint and severe language, " to do their 
business., and neglect his own ; " for, continues he, " What is your business ? Your business is 
to support your minii^ter ; and that is what I have been doing for more than twenty years. And 
what is mil business ? My business is to preach, and in this I have never abounded." Had the 
town requited him justly for his services, it would have received the full benefit of the powers 
of a mind, unusually strong and vigorous, devoted exclusively to its spiritual welfare. 

It was fortunate, however, in having a minister who had the wit to write a couple of sermons 
of a Saturday afternoon ; and who knew how to draw blood without disturbing the temper of 
the patient. It is doing better now. 

2 This consisted of lOU acres ; together with the same quantity of" common land," given by 
the Trustees of Hopkins's donation in 1711, for the support of the " ministry " in Hopkinton. 

3 He was the thud son of Col. John Jones, who came from Boston to Hopkinton, and was 
admitted " a member in full communion " to the church, December 10, 1727, and died February 
7, 1773, aged 82 years. 

4 He was graduated at Cambridge, in 1815, and studied medicine with Drs. Warren and Jack- 
son of Boston. He has been twice elected State senator ; and also to the office of Major-general 
of the first division of the Massachusetts militia. His character, in some respects, resembles 
that of his father. Like him, he possesses that manly independence which is sure to make 
strong friends, as well as enemies ; and to command the respect of both. 



Soon after his marriage, Mr. Howe purchased of Deacon S. Kinsman, the 
house and farm,' distant about half a mile fi-om the meeting-house, and near 
the " ministerial land," where he was to spend the remainder of his life. 

He had married into an influential family, his pecuniary circumstances 
were easy, his health good, and his church flourishing. His prospects of use- 
fulness were unclouded ; and, buoyant with hope, he dedicated all liis ener- 
gies to the work before him. 

His time was now for several successive years divided between his pasto- 
ral duties, the composition and delivery of sermons, and the reading of Bax- 
ter, Bunyan, Saurin, South, Hopkins, Witherspoon, and Emmons ; who 
continued to be his favorite, and almost his only authors, to the end of 
life. 

The times, however, did not long remain so easy. Finding after a while 
the expenses of his family rapidly increasing, and his salary, from the depre- 
ciation in the value of money, becoming altogether inadequate to its support, 
he began to relinquish, in some degree, his literary and theological pursuits, and 
to labor with his own hands upon his farm, in order that he might " provide 
things honest in the sight of all men," for the maintenance of his household. 

Adopting, as the times demanded, a rigid, though not a mean, economy 
in his domestic affairs, and toiling vigorously with the axe in winter, with 
the plough in spring, and the scythe in summer, he was enabled to eke out 
his scanty salary of £70 in such a manner, as to maintain his family, to give 
his children a good education, and to make his charities and almsgi^-ing felt 
throughout the town. 

" We have a good soil," says he to the people in a discourse delivered in 
1830 ; " rough indeed, and rocky ; but when well cultivated, it produces a 
rich crop, and amply pays for the labor ; I speak from experience ; / have 
tried it." 

In his earnest efforts to induce the town to make up to him the depreciation 
in his salary, so quaintly set forth in his " Century Sermon," he seems to have 
acted from a profound and innate sense of justice ; and his biting and oft- 
repeated reproof's to his people for their delinquency in respect to his sup- 
port, appear to have been aihninistered " more in sorrow than in anger." 
Mr. Howe loved his people ; and they respected him. The bonds that 
united him to them were cemented in honor and integrity ; nor did he ever 
dream of breaking them without the full and free consent of both the church 
and town. 

A man of sterling probity, he thought correctly, and said what he thought ; 
and though his people disregarded his remonstrances, they had the good sense 
to perceive that he was in the right, and the patience to endure the sharp 
rebukes they so well merited. 



1 Now in tbe possession of Mr. John Fitch. 



He did not fail to improve, to the end of liis life, all suitable occasions for 
reminding the town of its injustice in regard to his support. 

In his sermon preached at the dedication of the new church, in 1830, 
which forms a very good countei-part to his " Century Sermon," he says : 
" To the male inhabitants of the parish, it is no part of my intention to-day 
to make any complaint for any lack of justice, or equity, or mercy in your 
treatment of me in respect to my support ; that must be left to God and your 
own consciences and a future day of retribution." 

It was a maxim often repeated by Mr. Howe, that " the second vice is 
lying ; the first, is running in debt," and the fear of incurring liabilities which 
he could not meet, often led him into doubts and anxieties, which seemed to 
indicate the want of a suitable trust in the divine beneficence. Of his firm 
reliance on the goodness of God, however, there can be no doubt ; he looked 
upon himself only as the steward and ahnoner of his bounty ; he labored with 
his hands; he practised self-denial; he sought for justice from his fellow- 
men ; — not for the sake of hoarding money ; not for the sake of benefiting him- 
self alone ; but in order that he might " owe no man anything but love ;" in 
order that he might have something to relieve the wants of the distressed. 

Owing to the rise in the value of his real estate, to legacies from deceased 
relatives, and to his persevering and well-directed industry, he was enabled 
to leave property amounting to between four and five thousand dollars. 
This was, however, not one third of what the legacies themselves, had they 
remained on interest, would have been. 

It would be doing injustice not to mention that while the parish, as such, 
remained indifferent to the claims of its minister, many of the citizens of the 
town extended to him their sympathies and contributed something to make 
up the deficiency in his salary. 

In 1811, the ladies of the parish presented him an elegant surplice ; and 
on the very day after the deUvery of his " Century Sermon," which " cut the 
consciences of his people to the quick," a subscription-pajDcr was started for 
the pui-pose of raising money to purchase him a suit of clothes. The caption 
of this paper, on which I find between forty and fifty names, is alike honor- 
able to himself and to his friends. 

" December 25, 1815. 

'• We, the subscribers, feeling sensible of our obligations to support a min- 
ister, and being perfectly acquainted with the many persecutions which the 
Rev. Nathanael Howe has suffered ; viewing the distressful and unhappy situ- 
ation of his family ; feeling it a duty incumbent on us as citizens of the town 
and friends of good order ; being conscious that the regular and exemplary 
life which our much-respected minister has ever led, has tended greatly to 
the happiness of his people, and knowing that the pecuniary aid rendered 
him by the town is quite insufficient for his support ; agree to pay the several 
sums affixed to our names, for the purpose of purchasing him a mourning 
suit, which in all probability in a few days he must be called to wea r." 



8 

The -whole amount subscribed was $65, of which Elizabeth Priced and 
Mar)- Hildreth gave $5 each ; Joseph Valentine $3, Arba Thayer, Samuel 
Goddard, Mr. Herrick, Mr. Valentine, W. Rockwood, E. Fairbanks, J. Bur- 
nap, 11. Smith, Samuel Valentine, F. Holmes, and Benjamin Adams, S2 
each ; and all the others, $1 each. 

Tliis " mourning suit " was hardly done, when Mr. Howe was called upon, 
as anticipated in the heading of the subscription-hst, to put it on and wear it 
at the funeral of Eliza, his oldest daughter, who died on the 27th of this, 
" the gloomiest December " he had ever seen. 

He seemed to have had that same intense affection for this child which 
Edmund Burke felt for his son ; her death filled his mind with the keenest 
anguish, and to it may be attributed, in a great degree, that remarkable 
" depression of spirit," which came upon him at intervals through the remain- 
der of his life. 

In politics, Mr. Howe was a conservative and a consistent advocate of the 
leading measures of the whig party. He thought it the duty of every min- 
ister of the gospel to make liis political principles distinctly known ; and he 
therefore sometimes spoke with undue severity against the measures of the 
popular party in Hopkinton. The native independence of his character led 
him to despise every kind of political artifice ; and nothing could ever 
prevent him from proclaiming freely the honest convictions of his mind upon 
all those subjects of national, state, and town policy, with which he was in 
any way conversant. 

He defined his political position in early life, and his opponents always 
found him zealously maintaining it with his front directed towards them to 
the last. 

Not long after the deUvery of his " Century Sermon," and wliile suffering 
under great depression of spirits, he preached a discourse from the text, 
" Finally, brethren, pray for us," which gave great offence to his congrega- 
tion. Among other severe things, he said that he had reason to believe " that 
the day of his funeral would be a day of as great joy to this people as the day 
of his ordination." This discourse occasioned several meetings of the church ; 
but it was finally concluded that the objectionable remarks were as well- 
meant as they were justly merited ; and the whole matter was dropped. 
Mr. Howe called the church " a minister's lifegiiard ; " and " what should you 
think," said he to his people in reference to his own peculiar position, " what 
should you think of the situation of a general, whom his own lifeguard should 
threaten to shoot for fear of his being destroyed by the enemy." It may be 
here observed, that many of his illustrations of this nature are inimitable and 
perfectly to the point. 

At one time during his ministry, the singers all took offence and left the 

1 Daughter of the Rev. Roger Price, Rector of King's Chapel, Boston. 



9 

choir. On the next Sabbath, he related the following dream, which had tlie 
desired effect, of restoring them to their places. He dreamed that a spirit 
from the other world appeared before him, and informed liim that there was 
singing enough in heaven, but none in hell ; and that one of the most essen- 
tial distinctions between angels and devils consists in this, that the former 
delight in singing, while the latter have no inclination to engage in this 
heavenly employment. 

The angels (continued the spirit) were all created in holiness ; but in pro- 
cess of time a part of them became tired of emplojdng their faculties in sing- 
ing the songs of heaven. When these were urged to use all their talents in 
the service of God, they said they had no encouragement to sing, or, in other 
words, no pay ! They would not trust the Lord to reward them, but must 
be paid by their fellow-servants. The Almighty, therefore, prepared them 
a different place and name. 

I awoke, (said Mr. Howe,) and lay musing on the subject for sometime, and 
then fell asleep ; my thoughts turned to my former dream ; departed spirits 
appeared to me, and their conversation was audible. At length, one of them 
stood forth to Interpi'et the dream, and said it had respect to the people of 
Hopkinton. Your last year's singers (observed the interpreter) are all dead. 
I saw them go to heaven's gate and knock for admission. Whereupon 
Gabriel opened the gate and said, " Who are you ? Can you sing ? " 
" No ! " " Then you cannot be admitted here." " We did sing for a time," 
replied they, " but were discouraged." " He that putteth his hand to the 
plough," answered Gabriel, " and looketh back, is not fit for the kingdom of 
God ; you cannot be admitted here." " We would have sung, if there had 
been suitable encouragement." " Those who loill not sing on earth," returned 
the angel, " shall not sing in heaven. You can't be admitted here : Depart, 
depart !" Upon this, the gulf opened and swallowed them up. Then I 
awoke, (said Mr. Howe,) and " behold it was a dream ; but the tiling was 
certain, and the interpretation thereof, sure." 

The only " tune " which Mr. Howe is ever known to have learned to sing 
is " Islington ; " but though he had no musical powers in lilmself, he appre- 
ciated them highly in others ; and sometimes " boarded " the singing-master 
gratuitously, in order that he might have music in his family, and improve the 
style of it in his church. In his dedication sermon, 1830, he says, " I feel 
myself under more obligation to them (the singers) than to any other class of 
the parish." 

To his efforts and encouragement may be attributed in part that lively 
interest in sacred music which has so long prevailed In Hopkinton, and which 
continues unabated to the present time. 

In the education of the young, he took a special interest. He was in the 
habit, so long as the state of his health permitted, of visiting all the public 
schools in town once or twice a year, for the purpose of catechizing the 

2 



10 

children, of giving them pious counsel, and of encouraging them in the pursuit 
of useful knowledge. He was very fond of children ; and had a rare faculty 
of interesting them in what he said, and of winning their affection and 
respect. He never left a school without uniting with it in prayer ; without 
imjiressing some striking thought upon the minds of all. 

" How much pleasure I feel," said he on a certain occasion, " when I see 
a good master, or a good mistress and a good school, in good order, with 
their bright eyes and ivory teeth, trying to learn. It keeps coming into my 
mind. The world is indeed growing better ! " 

The most liighly-valued present which the writer of this has ever received 
is a " Bible," given him by the Rev. Mr. Howe, as " a reward of merit," 
when a boy at school. 

Several young men were led, by Mr. Howe's advice and pecuniary assist- 
ance, to obtain a liberal education ; and two of them are now distinguished 
clergymen, one in this, and another in an adjoining State. 

In common with many ministers of liis time, Mr. Howe was in the habit of 
using moderately stimulating drink ; which he thought essential to the support 
of his constitution under the severe manual labor in which he engaged. 

It is related of him, that wliile on a journey to Boston with a load of ship- 
timber on one bitter cold day in winter, he stopped at a tavern and called 
for a glass of brandy ; but the tavern-keeper, not recognizing in his cus- 
tomer the minister of Hopkinton, and noticing the tremulous motion in his 
limbs (which Avas habitual with him), refused to accommodate him, on the 
ground that he had drunk enough already. Mr. Howe Aery good-naturedly 
desired him to treat every applicant for brandy in the same manner, and 
went on his way, philosopliising, no doubt, upon the best means of making 
the town of Hopkinton support its minister. 

When the temperance reformation begun, however, he was one of the first to 
engage in a society for the promotion of the cause ; yet he was slow to believe 
that temperance meant " total abstinence from all which intoxicates." In 
his dealings with his fellow-men he was open-handed and above-board, and 
he desired the same kind of treatment in return. The following letter, 
written near the close of his life, illustrates this trait in his character, and 
shows how he stood in respect to the temperance cause. It will sufficiently 
expljiin itself. 

" To the Managers of the Temjierance Society in Hopkinton. 
"■ Gentlemen : The language and spirit of your letter to me, dated Feb. 19, 
1836, have merited and received my attention ; the result of which I will com- 
municate to you. Seeing you are grieved at my using of gin, at diflferent 
times and places, not privately, but publicly, under the direction and advice 
of a temperate physician, wliich is agreeable to your own by-laws, for a 
complaint which has attended me for years, and sometimes seriously threat- 



11 

ened my life, I am led to conclude it is best for me to resign my office as 
president of your society, and require that my name should be erased from 
the number of its members ; not ft-om any disregard or disaffection to the 
temperance cause, which ought to be sustained by every member of the 
community ; but from your disrespect to me as your president, in calling 
and holding a meeting -without my knowledge or consent, to do business 
which was more interesting to me than any other member. This, gentle- 
men, I receive unkindly. This reason I consider sufficient for requiiing 
that my name should be erased from your body, and from this time I shall 
consider my connection with the temperance society in Hopkinton dissolved. 
Let me say, I have the present week joined the county temperance society 
in Charlestown, and hope to avoid whatever will be injurious to its progress. 
It is my intention to harbor no unfriendly feelings to your number on 
account of anything said or done with respect to this matter. With senti- 
ments of respect, I am yours, etc. etc. Nathanael Howe. 
" February, 25, 1836." 

In February, 1827, Mr. Howe's second daughter, INIary Jones, was mar- 
ried to the Rev. Mr. Russell, then minister of Boylston, Mass. She had 
embraced religion some ten years previous, and her union with an efficient 
minister of the Cross gave hopes — too soon, alas ! to be blasted — of a long 
career of usefulness and of happiness to come. 

In this year, Mr. Howe was made a life-member of the American Education 
Society, by the ladies of his parish. He had been made a life-member of 
the American Bible Society, in 1822. 

In the year 1828, his health began to decline, and the church and some 
of the parish thought the time had come to have a new minister. A meet- 
ing was therefore held, and a joint committee of the church and parish 
appointed, to agree with him on the terms of his dismission. It was proposed 
and accepted, that they should give him a thousand dollars, to be paid in 
ten annual instalments, without interest ; and in case he should not Uve ten 
years, it was to be secured to his family. A mutual councU was immediately 
called, of which Dr. Kellogg was moderator, which voted to dissolve the 
connection between Mr. Howe and liis people, pro\'ided they should fulfil 
their agi'eement with him. Four days after this, the parish held another 
meeting, and rescinded the vote to dismiss their pastor, by a majority of 6Q 
to 42 ; but made no provision to relieve him from the expense of the council, 
which had been mutually called for his dismission. Of this injustice, he was 
never heard to complain. 

He hoped the old meeting-house, which was built in 1725, with square, 
uncomfortable pews, and with a huge " sounding-board " above the towering 
pulpit, " would last as long as he did ; " but when the parish had decided to 
buUd another house, he rendered it all the assistance in his power. 



12 

Preacliing one day to liis people, before they had fully determined to 
erect a new bouse, and perceiving them to be in a somewhat lethargic state, 
he stopped suddenly in the midst of his discourse, and casting his eyes 
around him, remarked that they were talking about building another meet- 
ing-house, but he did not know as it was worth while, as the timbers 
appeared to be in a pretty good condition, and he was sure " the sleepers 
were sound." 

His most intimate clerical friends were Dr. Emmons of FrankUn, for 
whose theological opinions he entertained the most profound respect ; Dr. 
Ide of Medway, Mr. Rockwood of Westboro', Mr. Wood of Upton, and 
Mr. Long of Milford. Of the latter gentleman, he once observed, on intro- 
ducing him to an association of clergymen, " He is a man who has but one 
fault ; he never agrees with me in opinion, only when he thinks I 'm right." 
With these ministers his " pulpit exchanges " were usually made ; in their 
society liis social qualities shone forth in all their lustre, and by their counsel 
and advice he was the better enabled to fulfil the arduous duties of his vo- 
cation. In referring to his intercourse with Mr. Howe, one of the above- 
mentioned clergjTiien remarks : — 

" At the first interview, I received the impression, that unaffected affa- 
bility Avas a prominent trait in liis character. That first impression was 
never afterwards effaced, but, on the contrary, was strengthened by long and 
intimate acquaintance. Another trait in his character was open-hearted 
sincerity. Deception had no place in his composition. In his intercourse 
-with his friends, he was perfectly transparent. When we heard him speak, 
we knew what he meant. We never found him on any other ground than 
that which he professed to occupy, unless, on a review, he was convinced of 
incorrectness, and in that case he was always ingenuous to admit and to 
express such conviction ; for truth seemed ever to be his prime object. 

" He generally possessed a flow of cheerful spirits, and in his intercourse 
■with confidential friends, when he had no apprehension of ill effects, he 
would sometimes indulge in flashes of wit which they were not prepared to 
anticipate. Yet, notwithstanding the general maxim, that ' ready wit and 
sound judgment are seldom found to meet in the same person,' his opinions 
in matters of weight and importance Avere often sought, and always respected, 
both by his people and by ministers around him. He possessed a quickness 
of -apprehension and persjiicuity of expression which i-endered his conmiuni- 
cations acceptable and useful." 

As a matter of conscience, he confined his " exchanges " to ministers of his 
own denomination ; and when, on a certain occasion, some disaffected 
members of the parish obtained the use of the church, and employed a 
Unitarian clergyman to preach at a third service, Mr. Howe huaaself 
attended, and, as soon as the speaker had finished liis discourse, went up 
into the pulpit, invited him and the audience to remain, and then, taking for 



13 

his text the passage, " Horo then must this Scripture he fulfilled, that thus it 
-must be" handled his subject in a most masterly manner, and by this 
manoeuvre, " put an end," as some one expresses it, " to Unitarian preaching 
in Hopkiuton to this day." 

Though he believed that Unitarians were laboring under a great and 
fundamental error, he nevertheless always exercised a spirit of tolerance 
with regard to them. He was no bigot. " Who cannot see," he exclaims in 
one of his discourses, " that we are all upon a level, as it respects religious 
freedom," — just where the Constitution of the State places us ? — just where 
the God of nature has placed us ? — and just where we may be happy, if we 
will only put away ill-nature, hackhiting, and slander ? " 

Erroneous denominations are to be put down, he continues, not by cal- 
innny, " but by doing better than they do ; by rising above them by dint of 
merit." 

In January, 1830, the new meeting-house in Hopkinton was dedicated, — 
Mr. Howe preaching a memorable sermon on the occasion, — and in April, 
of the same year, it was proposed to him, that, in consequence of his increas- 
ing infirmities, a colleague should be appointed to assist him in the work of 
the ministry. In his characteristic reply to this proposal, he says : " To this 
(the appointment of a colleague) I freely consent ; because, should I in 
any measure recover my health, it is not to be expected at my period of 
life, and with my infirmities, that I could do what you need to have done in 
my profession. As I have been your minister for upwards of 38 years ; as 
I am unable to support myself by labor ; as my wife has been lame for more 
than ten years ; as my worldly circumstances are far less favorable than are 
generally supposed ; as I stand in as much need of my full salary as at any 
former period ; as I was settled for life, and as the legislature have enacted 
a law, that ministers shall be subject to taxation, which was not expected, 
either by you or by me, at the time of my settlement ; it would seem as 
though you would not wish me to relinquish any part of my salary. 

" But for the good of the parish, if they will settle a colleague pastor, I 
will relinquish one hundred dollars of my salary annually, on and after the 
day of his ordination, and also all the ministerial wood-land ; all the pasture- 
land north of the meeting-house, and all the meadow-land, amounting to 
sixty acres, reserving only for myself $133 38 of my annual salary, and also 
the forty-acre lot of land, near to my house, during my natural life." 

When Mr. Howe, in former times, had asked the town for more salary, he 
was met by the reply, that " a bargain is a bargain," and, if he had made a 
poor one, he must stand by it ; but now, when he is called on to rehnquish a 
portion of his income, which Be might legally retain, instead of replying, that 
" a bargain is a bargain," he cheerfully accedes to the proposal of the town, 
and remits to it a large part of what was actually his due. This was noble ; 
and it goes to show that, in all his conflicts with the town, the good of the 
people was the dearest object of his heart. 



14 

The Rev. Amos Phelps was ordained as colleague with him, on the 14th 
of September, 1830, and continued to labor with him, until May 1, 1832, 
when, by liis dismission, Mr. Howe became again the sole pastor of the 
church, and received again his full salary.l His health, however, continuing 
feeble, the Rev. Jeffries Hall was ordained as colleague with him, in 1833.2 

Acting in accordance with his favorite maxim, that " it is better to wear 
out than to rust out," he now continued, though suffering from the inroads of 
disease, to visit his parishioners, to disjiense his charities among the poor, to 
look after the concerns of his farm, and to preach occasionally, for several 
successive years. He lived on the most friendly terms vnih his colleagues ; 
and, sustained by those great truths Avhich he had so faithfully promulgated, 
he passed quietly down the vale of life ; dispensing, like a fine setting sun, 
his most hallowed radiance, as he left the world. His last sermon was 
preached at Franklin, December 25, 1836, from Gal. 1 : 10, " For if I yet 
pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ ; " and his last public 
service was the prayer, remarkable for its fervency and appropriateness, at 
the installation of the Rev. Mr. Brigham at Framingham. His mind was 
tranquil and composed during his last sickness, which was very distressful 
and severe. His death occurred on the 15th of February, 1837, in the 73d 
year of his age, and in the 46th year of his ministry .3 His funeral sermon 
was preached by the Rev. Dr. Ide of Medway. 

The publications of Mr. Howe are as follows, namely : — 

1. " A Sermon preached at Hopkinton, on Loi-d's day, Feb. 28, 1808, 
occasioned by the death of three persons the week preceding its delivery." 

2. "A Century Sermon, delivered in Hoijkinton, Mass., on Lord's day, 
Dec. 24, 1815." This is an original production ; a diamond of the first water. 
It is an honest transcript of what an honest man thought ; and is the best 
biography which can ever be written of him. It was very favorably noticed, 
on its first appearance, by the North American Review, and by the news- 
papers generally. It has passed through several editions, and has been 
translated into foreign languages. Perhaps no sermon ever published in New 

1 Mr. Howe, at this time, relinquished to the town, for $30 per annum, his right to the sixty 
acres of" ministerial land,-' which had again come into his possession. 

2 Mr. Ilall was dismissed, May 22, 183t^, and the Rev. John C. Webster, the present efficient 
pastor, was installed in December of the same year. 

3 ilis wife, a lady every way qualified for the duties of her station, died on the 10th of Decem- 
ber, 1843. One of her intimate acquamtances thus speaks of her ; and all who knew her will 
acknowledge the description just : — 

"I ever viewed her as a person of superior mind, quick perception, peculiar energy, and 
unconquerable fortitude and resolution. She was as distinguished as her husband, for unaf- 
fected affability, ujiwavering and alfectionatu friendship, 4s well as for correct thinking, keen 
penetration, and sound judgment. Her judicious management in her domestic concerns often 
prevented the family, with its limited support, from being plunged into embarrassment. 

" But the brightest trait in her character was her unostentatious piety. She was decidedly 
averse to all Pharisaical display in religion ; but she was always ready to unite, with deep inter- 
est, in conversation with Christian friends on the subject; and was feelingly alive to the impor- 
tance of possessing as well as professing true piety." 



15 

England, is more generally known. Many of its expressions have become 
proverbial ; many of Its pages as familiar to the ear as " household words." 

3. " A Seraion on the Design of John's Baptism, delivered at Foxborough, 
before the Mendon Association, Oct. 6, 1819." 

4. " An Attempt to jirove that John's Baptism was not Gospel Baptism ; 
being a Reply to Dr. Baldwin's Essay on the same subject." Printed by 
Flagg and Gould, at Andover, 1820. 

5. " A Catechism, extracted chiefly from the Assembly's Catechism. To 
which are added Miscellaneous Questions, concisely answered, and a Chapter 
of Proverbs for common life, for the Children under liis pastoral care." 
Boston, Perkins and Marvin, 1834. 

In these questions and proverbs, Mr. Howe has pithily expressed a good 
deal of that practical wisdom by which his life was guided. The following 
may be taken as a fair specimen of them : — 

Question. " "Who are wise ? " 

Answer. " None but such as are determined to be wiser still." 

Q. " What is the reason that man is so unhappy In his family ? " 

A. " Because he keeps a bottle of rum in his house." 

Q. " What hurt does that do ? " 

A. " No hurt at all, if he would let it alone." 

Q. " What has the rich man more than the poor ? " 

A. " Nothing, but what God has given him." 

Q. " What reason has he, then, to exult over the poor ? " 

A. " No reason at all." 

Q. " Who are the rich ? " 

A. " AU such as have health, peace, and liberty, and none to make them 
afraid." 

Q. " What is the reason that man is more prosperous than his neighbor ? " 

A. " Because he always takes care of little things ; he lets nothing be lost, 
strikes when the iron is hot, and keeps his dish right-side up." 

Of the proverbs, the following are quite characteristic. 

" To do nothing, is the way to be nothing." 
" Leisure is time for doing something useful." 
" The careless man is seldom fortunate." 

" Would you have a faithful servant, and one that suits you, serve yourself." 
" K you will not hear reason, she wiU rap your knuckles." 
" A dead fish can swim with the stream, but a living one only can swim 
against It." 

" He who marries for money, buys money too dear." 

" Great minds are always candid." 

" Common sense is the best sense in the world." 

" Many things can be proved by facts, that never happened." 



16 

" Whoever does not feel himself to be a sinner, cannot be a Christian." 
" We can enjoy nothing but what God is jjleased to give us." 
" We can lose nothing but what he sees fit to take away." 
" We can suifer nothing but what he lays upon us." 

" Finally : Dr. Witherspoon said, in the conclusion of one of liis sermons, 
delivered in the summer of 1 785, in my hearing^ to the best of my recollection : 
* Almost to hit the mark, is really to miss it. Almost to be a saint, is to be an 
unconverted sinner ; and almost to obtain salvation, is to drop into hcU and 
be miserable forever.' " 

It was a frequent sa}dng of Mr. Howe, that two crimes are invariably fol- 
lowed by the curse of God in this life, namely ; that of " deceiving, in the 
promise of marriage ; and that of treating parents cruelly, when poor, old, 
and feeble." 

The church of Hopkinton remained united in doctrine during his ministry ; 
and " always governed," as he quaintly remarked, " its members ; and not 
the indi\4dual members, the church." The whole number of persons admitted 
to it, under him, was 245; and the number excommunicated, 13. It was 
a maxim with him, that churches are more in danger of becoming too large, 
than too small ; and he therefore always exercised gi'eat caution and dis- 
crimination in regard to the admission of new members. 

As a preacher, Mr. Howe was unaffected, -pXaxn, and impressive. His 
sermons were often composed during the toil of the day, and committed to 
paper after his family had retired to rest at night ; and though, for this reason, 
sometimes wanting in respect to style, they always contained important 
thought and sound di^dnity, and were so constructed as to be easily retained 
in memory. He never aspired to be eloquent or fine, but to be useful ; he 
knew his " vein," and had the wit to follow it. Though not what in fasliion- 
able language would be called a " great preacher," he was certainly an 
original and effective one. In prayer, his language was remarkably fervent 
and appropriate to the occasion. He was, indeed, in the words of Cowper, in 
all the business of his sacred office. 



simple, grave, sincere ; 



In doctrine uncorrupt ; in language plain, 
And plain in manner; decent, solemn, chaste, 
And natural in gesture ; much impressed 
Himself, as conscious of his awful charge, 
And anxious mainly that the flock he fed 
Might feel it too ; affcclionate in look, 
And tender in address, as well becomes 
A messenger of grace to guilty men." 



His system of religious faith is given in his " Century Sermon ;" and cor- 
responds in general with that of Dr. Enunons and of the other members of 
the Mendon Association of ministers of his day. He was decidedly opposed 



17 

to all " new measures" and innovations in theology, as being at variance with 
the spirit and simpUcity of the gospel. Nothing answered to his ideas of true 
religion but such affections of the heart as resulted in a good life. 

Perhaps no man ever practised more scrupulously what he taught, than 
Mr. Howe. His life was a running conunent on his doctrine, flowing from it 
as a river from its fountain-head. 

" He was a man among the few, 
Sincere on Virtue's side ; 
And all his strength from Scripture drew, 
To hourly use applied." 

He was frequent in his visits to the widow, the fatherless, and the unfor- 
tunate ; and he usually took with him, as he went, some substantial tokens of 
his sjTnpathy. 

His charities were bestowed discriminately, and in such a manner as to 
fulfil the gospel injunction, " Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand 
doeth." He is known to have risen and carried provision to the poor by 
night, in order that he might " not be seen of men." 

Passing the house of a ^parishioner one day, who had been reduced from 
affluence to poverty, and seeing but one stick of wood at the door, he went 
immediately to his wood-lot and returned with a load of wood, which he told 
the woman he had come to sell to her. " I have no money," said she, " to 
pay for it." " I do not ask but one cent for it," replied Mr. Howe ; and 
exacting this, he unloaded the wood at her door and departed. 

Many and many a time has the sick man, whose means of support had been 
exhausted, and who knew not whence the next dinner for his " little ones" 
was to come, had his eye moistened, and his heart cheered, by a timely visit 
from Mr. Howe and his excellent lady, bringing with them various articles of 
food and raiment to replenish his empty store. 

After supplying a poor family with two loads of wood one winter, he 
brought a third, and leaving it at some distance from the house, desired them 
to use it, if they needed it, but if not, to let it remain. Seeing at length that 
it was not taken, he came and removed it to the door of another family who 
were in greater want of it. By acts like these, many more of which I 
might relate, he " improved " his " ministerial land," his " people," and his 
own heart. 

But while he was thus beneficent towards the meritorious poor, he was 
equally severe in reproving the wayward and the indolent. 

It is related, that a pig was once given him on condition that he should tell 
the donor aU his faults. He continued from time to time to do so, until the 
giver was more than satisfied, and thinking to pay back something in the same 
coin, began to tell Mr. Howe what he had done wrong. " Stop, stop," said 
his pastor, " you are too fast ; you must wait tiU / have given you a pig, and 
then you may tell me my faults." 

3 



18 

As a citizen, he was punctual in the fulfilment of all his engagements, and 
ready at all times to bear his ftill proportion of the burdens of the town. To 
his public spirit and liberal-minded policy all wU testify ; the pubUc good, 
was his good ; the prosperity of the people, his chief dehght. 

As a husband and father, he was uuifonnly kind and affectionate. He 
trained his family up in the " nurture and admonition of the Lord ;" and, by 
the well-ordered and systematic arrangements of his household, exerted a 
most benign influence upon the other families of the town. 

He was constant in his friendships, social and amiable in his disposition, 
and a lover of good men, especially of ministers of the gospel. " He received 
them," says one of them, " with great cordiality at his house, and made them 
welcome to its hospitalities. They will never forget the attachment which 
he has manifested to them, and the affectionate kindness with which he has 
uniformly treated them." But the crowning excellence in his character was 
his sacred regard for truth. He seemed, in the words of Bishop Berkeley, 
" to dedicate his age, as well as youth, — the latter growth, as well as the first- 
fruits, — at the altar of Truth." Of this noble trait in his character, an intimate 
acquaintance thus speaks : " Truth was precious in his eyes. He always felt 
himself under obligation to answer every expectation which he designedly 
raised. Everything like equivocation, deception, or falsehood, he seemed 
intuitively to abhor. He was rightly named " Nathanael," for he was " an 
Israelite Indeed, in whom there was no guile." He loved the truth, more than 
he feared the face of man. He would declare the truth with as little reserve, 
and >vlth as much apparent readiness when he saw its disclosure was against 
him, as when he knew it would favor his Interest. I have known but very 
few men who at all times, both In words and actions, adhered so strictly to 
simple verity, as Mr. Howe. If he made an appointment, you might depend 
upon seeing him at the place, and at the tune, unless a special providence 
prevented. When he made a statement of facts, you might rest assured 
that there was no intentional exaggeration, or concealment. If he made a 
contract with you, or gave you his word on any subject whatever, }-ou might 
depend upon its timely and faithful fulfilment. Every body that knew him, 
knew that he would do and say what he thought would be right, whether it 
was advantageous or disadvantageous to himself; pleasing or dlsjilcasing to 
others. This Is as great as It Is a rare excellence of character. Whatever 
may be thought or said of Mr. Howe in other respects, his love of truth and 
uniform integrity of character will never be forgotten, and never cease to be 
respected." 

Such was the life and character of the Rev. Nathanael Howe. That he 
had imperfections, cannot be denied ; but few men ever had less of them. 
He spoke forth his " word" for God and humanity without fear ; he carried that 
" word" Into practice in his life ; he died in the hope of glory, and left a charac- 
ter behind him, which will shine the brighter as men shall examine it the more. 




CENTURY SERMON. 



/ 



ADVERTISEIMENT. 

The author had no reason to expect, when he wrote and delivered this Sermon, 
that it would be requested for the press. However, as it has been requested, he 
consents it should be made public : with this impression full upon his mind, that no 
person will think he has aimed at any thing more than truth, impartiality, perspicuity, 
and precision. As it may occasion unpleasant feelings in the minds of some of his 
people, he requests them to consider, that it is as suitable to discover engagedness 
for the cause of truth, as to go to law for the sake of justice, or take physic for the 
sake of health. 

The author, therefore, dedicates this Discourse to the people of his charge, with his 
best wishes for their peace, prosperity, and eternal happiness. 

N. B. The author consents to a second edition of his Century Sermon, to gratify 
some friends; to counteract the mistakes of the reviewer in the Evening Gazette; 
and to credit his people for an unusual instance of liberality in giving him an elegant 
suit of clothes,' immediately after the Sermon was delivered. 

D:]?=The public are presented with a third edition of this Sermon, because it has 
been out of print for years : and has been more frequently inquired for lately than 
formerly. 

As the North American Review has been pleased to take some notice of it, and to 
make some extracts from it ; the author deems it no more than equitable that he 
makes some extracts from that Eeview. 

In the North American Review, November No. 1816, we read as follows: — 

" It has been our lot to read more polished Sermons than the present, but never 
one half so abounding in plainness and originality. It is a unique specimen, and be- 
yond all price. That it should have been delivered is remarkable, — that it should 
have been printed still more so ; particularly as it was printed by request and ded- 
icated to the parish, with affectionate ' wishes for their peace, prosperity, and eternal 
happiness.' The text taken for the motto in the title-page, which is not that of the 
Discourse, is admirably chosen. "We shall make some extracts, but almost every 
page of it will reward a perusal." — H. 

> The amount subscribed for the " suit of clothes," was $ 67. — N. 



SERMON. 



ECCLESIASTES 1 : 4. 

One generation passeth aw at, and another generation cometh: but 
the earth abideth forever. 

We live in a changing world ; this truth is evident 
from our text, from our observation, and from our 
■ experience. 

We have no need of going to the Bible to discover, 
that one generation passeth away, and another genera- 
tion cometh ; we know it by our own observation. 
Where are the people who were old, twenty-five years 
ago? They are dead, with only one exception. I 
remember that Mr. Joseph Cody ^ was an old man 
when I first saw him. All the rest are dead ! 

Where are those who were twenty-five years ago 
in the midst of life, active, useful, and promising? All 
who are living, have now become old, and are draw- 
ing toward the grave ; for the grey hairs are growing 
thick upon their heads. 

Where are those who were young twenty-five years 
ago ? They have come forward to the midst of life, 



* Mr. Joseph Cody, son of Isaac Cody and Hannah Caryl, who were among the 
earliest settlers of Hopkinton, was bom in 1736, and was consequently fifty -five 
years old at the time of Mr. Howe's settlement in 1791. — N. 



22 

and fill the most active, honorable, and useful stations. 
Some of them are deacons of the church ; magis- 
trates of the commonwealth ; selectmen of the town ; 
military officers of various grades ; and others in 
more private stations, acting in different town offices ; 
members of civil society ; heads of families, etc. 

And what shall I say more ? Shall I say that more 
than half our inhabitants have been born within that 
time? 

It now lacks less than twenty-five days of twenty- 
five years, since my first coming to this place, to preach 
to this people. At that time, I had only arrived to a 
state of manhood ; I had youth, activity, and a consid- 
erable share of sprightliness on my side ; I am now 
old. I have lived to see more than half a century ; 
the grey hairs are growing upon my head ; the grind- 
ers cease because they are few ; the keepers of the 
house tremble ; my infirmities indicate, that I have 
but a few more years, or months, or days to live ! 

Is it not evident, then, that we live in a changing 
world ? Is it not evident that one generation passeth 
away, and another generation cometh : but the earth 
abideth forever ? 

If we appeal to our own experience, we shall find 
that we live in a changing world. The seasons of the 
year are changing. Our circumstances are changing. 
Our relations are changing. The inhabitants of the 
world are changing. One generation passeth away, 
and another generation cometh : but the earth abideth 
forever. 

There was formerly a man living in the kingdom of 
Great Britain, whose name was Edward Hopkins.^ 

' Edward Hopkins, in honor of whom the town of Hopkinton received its name, 
was born in Shrewsbury, England, a. ». 1600. 
He was bred a merchant, and married the daughter of Theophilus Eaton, Esq., 



23 

This man was not one of those ignorant, selfish, nar- 
row-contracted souls, who could think of notiiing but 
himself, his family, and friends. He could think of 
America ; an infant country, though it was three 
thousand miles distant. He could think of the bene- 
fits of education. His enlarged mind took into view 
the difficulties of educating youth, in an infant coun- 
try, to fill important stations in church and state. 

In the year 1636, the General Court granted iI400 
to erect a college within the commonwealth. The 
next year they voted that the college should be erected 
in that part of Newtown, which is now Cambridge. 
The year following they decreed that the college 
should be called Harvard College, in honor of the 
E,ev. John Harvard, who had bequeathed his library 
and upwards of £700 for the benefit of the college. 

In the year 1642, the General Court established a 
Board of Overseers. In 1650, the charter of the 
corporation was granted. And in the year 1657, 
Edward Hopkins, Esq. made his will. 

The Father of spirits had not only endowed 'Squire 

■with whom he removed to New England, in 1637. He was made governor of Con- 
n(;cticut every other j-ear, from 1640 to 1654; after which he returned to England, 
and was chosen commissioner of the admiralty, and navy ; and also member of 
parliament. 

He died at London, in 16.57, leaving a will, in which he ordered that £500 of his 
estate in England should be remitted to New England, within six months after the 
death of his wife, Anna; and which, as he expresses it, "is in the simplicity of my 
heart for the upholding and promoting of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus in those 
parts." 

Anna Hopkins, died in December, 1698, and the donation of £500, togethei' with 
the interest thereon, was by a decree in chancery (1710) ordered to be laid out in a 
purchase of land in New England. 

Pursuant to this decree, the trustees of the donation laid out £800 in the purchase 
of the land which now. for the most part, constitutes the towns of Hopkinton and 
Ashland. 

The tract of land formerly occupied by the " praying Indians," and called " Ma- 
gnnco," embraced, according to an old chart, 1,152 acres, and was purchased of the 
Indians in 1710 or 1711. The remainder of the town was obtained by grant of the 
"•eneral court. — N. 



24 

Hopkins with an enlarged mind, but he had given him 
a great estate ; and what was of vastly more impor- 
tance, he had given him a benevolent heart. 

'Squire Hopkins was a man of great wealth ; his 
estate was estimated at d£20,000 sterling ; equal m 
vahie to $88,8SS 88. Eight hundred pounds sterling 
of this property was given to be laid out in lands, three 
fourths for the benefit of the college, and one fourth 
for the benefit of the Grammar school in Cambridge. 
That is to say, $2,666 66 were given to the college, 
and $888 88 to the Grammar school in Cambridge. 
This was given "for the breeding up of youth in the 
way of learning, for the pubhc service of the country 
in future times." — " For the upholding and propagat- 
ing of the kingdom of the Lord Jesus Christ." These 
are expressions taken from the will of Edward Hop- 
kins, Esq. In the year 1710, it was ordered that this 
money should be laid out in lands. This donation of 
'Squire Hopkins to Harvard College was the money 
which first purchased Hopkinton, which in its original 
state contained what is now called Hopkinton, about 
three thousand acres of Upton, and five hundred 
acres of Holliston. The lands began to be settled 
between 1710, and 1712.^ On the 13th day of Decem- 

* Although the act of incorporation was passed in 1715, the inhabitants did not 
take upon themselves the " powers and privileges " of a town, until March 25, 
1724, 0. S., when the government was organized by the choice of the following 
officers, namely, John How, John Wood, Henry Mellcn, Joseph Haven, and James 
Collar, Selectmen ; John How, Town Clerk; Elnathan Allen, Treasurer ; Samuel 
Watkins and Benjamin Burnap, Constables. 

The town was first represented in General Court by Captain (afterwards Col- 
onel) John Jones, in 1735, who continued to be sent as representative until 1767, 
when Captain Joseph Mellen Was elected. 

A plantation eastward of '" Magunco Hill," containing 631 acres, surveyed for 
Savill Simpson, cordwainer, Boston, in 1689, (the original plat of which is in my 
possession,) is probably the first tract of land taken up and occupied as a farm in 
the town. 

This land afterwards came into the possession of Colonel John Jones, who mar- 
ried Hannah, daughter of Savill Simpson, and thence into the hands of their son, 



ber, (old style,) which, according to the present mode 
of reckoning, brings it to the 24th day of December, 
1715, this town was incorporated. This day, there- 
fore, is the beginning of a new century to the inhabi- 
tants of this place. 

As the town was purchased by the donation of 
'Squire Hopkins to Harvard College, the lands were 
to be leased out to tenants, at one penny sterling per 
acre, to be paid annuahy to the college to the year 
1823, and threepence of like money afterwards. 
Twelve thousand five hundred acres were to be leased 
out to tenants ; the residue to be common land,^ to be 
divided among the tenants to enable them the better 
to pay the quitrents ; and moreover, the tenants were 
to pay a province tax, for what they were worth, 
above the rents reserved. 

It is natural to suppose these considerations would 
lead many people in indigent circumstances to come, 
and to settle here ; the town, therefore, increased 
rapidly in population for a number of years. 

May 21, 1723. The town " voted to have preaching 
constantly on the Sabbath." May 20, 1724, they voted 
to give Mr. Barrett " sixty pounds, in day-labor, oxen's 
work, boards, shingles, clapboards, slitwork, and other 
materials to build him a house,2 and if not paid in 
those articles to be paid in money." The same day 
they voted to give Mr. Barrett £35, in addition to the 
cutting and carting his firewood for three years ; and 
£70 afterwards, with the cutting and carting his fire- 

Col. John Jones, one of whose daughters was the wife of the Eev. Mr. Howe. It is 
believed that " White Hall " and " Eockwood's Farm " were the next places occu- 
pied. — ' N. 

1 The " common land " was then estimated at about 10,000 acres, exclusive of the 
'■• cedar swamps," and was to be divided among the tenants in proportion to the num- 
ber of acres each had rented. — N. 

2 June 30, 1724. The trustees of Hopkins's donation voted £30 to Mr. Barrett, 
" towards building his house upon his own land." — N. 

4 



\ 



26 

wood, to be his annual salary during his ministry. On 
the 2d day of September following, a Congregational 
church 1 was gathered, consisting of fifteen members. 
Their names were, Samuel Barrett, Samuel Wadkins, 
William Montgomery, Robert Hamilton, Samuel 
Wark, Benjamin Burnap, Robert Cook, Elnathan 
Allen, John Wood, Joseph Haven, Robert Huston, 
William Dunaghoi, Patrick Hamilton, Obediah Allen, 
and Jacob Gibbs. These were the only members of 
the church when it was formed. The same day, the 
Rev. Samuel Barrett, a native of Boston, who grad- 
uated at Harvard College in 1721, was ordained 
pastor of said church. This was at a period of our 

1 The meetings of the Church were held at the house of Mr. John How, at which 
place Mr. Barrett was ordained, and continued to preach, until " the meeting-house" 
was erected. 

Those who have with the writer, occupied " seats " in that venerable " meeting- 
house." will pardon him for introducing here a few extracts from the town record, 
touching tlie history of a building, around which his " earliest, fondest, memories 
cling." 

Immediately after the formation of the Church, measures were taken by the town 
to provide a suitable place for public worship, and at a meeting held January 5, 
1724-5 (old style), a committee was chosen "to provide ye timber for ye meeting- 
house, and to frame it, improving ye people of ye town, to work out their rates." It 
was also voted, that " the house shall be 48 feet long, 38 feet wide, and 20 feet 
between the joists." 

In June, 1725, three places were selected, upon which " to set ye meeting-house," 
and, casting lots thereupon, " it fell upon that place south of ye burying-ground." 

November 29th, of the same year, it was voted " to raise ye meeting-house with 
spike-poles," and £10 were granted for the purpose. 

In May, 1727, it was voted, that " Mr. John Jones' pew may be 7^ feet long, and 
5 feet wide, and that there should be a ' ministerial pew,' on the north side of the 
west door." 

February 1, 1727-8, voted " to build two bodies of seats on ye floor of ye meet- 
ing-house, one for men, and ye other for women." 

September 25, 1732. It was voted " to seat ye meeting-house by this year's and 
last year's rate," and that " it is esteemed, ye fore seats below to be ye highest in 
dignity; and ye second scat below and ye fore seat in ye front gallery, equal," &c. 

November 1 , 1751. It was voted '■ to make a seat between ye deacon seat and ye 
pulpit, for persons hard of hearing to set in." 

November 9, 1 759. Voted " to sundry young women, liberty to build a pew 
beliind the hind scat, the whole length of the women's gallery." 

This ■• raeaung-house " was used for public worship, town meetings, &c., until 
1829, when the present handsome and commodious building was erected. — N, 



27 

country when ministers were respected, public wor- 
ship attended, family religion and family government 
were maintained, morality and piety prevailed. 

But in the course of a few years a dissension took 
place ; a large number had been admitted to commun- 
ion ; some of whom proved themselves unworthy of 
their Christian standing. 

It appears on record, that on the ninth day of April, 
1731, the church voted to comply with the Cambridge 
Platform of church discipline. This gave great offence. 
James Montgomery and his mother, Robert Cook and 
his wife, William Hinry, Walter Stewart, Robert 
Huston and his wife, John Hamilton, Robert Barrett, 
and the widow Hamilton, and others, absented them- 
selves from communion. The elders, therefore, were 
sent by the church to inquire of these delinquents, the 
reasons of their absenting themselves from the Lord's 
supper : They replied, they had laid the matter before 
ministers, and if their advice was such as they could 
not comply with, they meant to leave the town. 

When the church insisted on knowing their reasons, 
it was replied, that the church had altered their mode 
of government ; that they had received members from 
Framingham without a dismission ; and that they 
were not under obligations to keep covenant with 
such a church.^ 

On June 14, 1732, Joseph Bixby and Joseph Haven 
were ordained to the office of ruling elders in the 
church. Also Benjamin Burnap and Henry Mellen 
were ordained deacons. On this occasion, the Rev. 
Thomas Prince, and the Rev. John Webb, both pas- 



* Robert Cook said " that he desired no dismission from ye church ; but that ye 
church ought to ask a dismission from him." Robert Barrett, and wife, together 
■with several others, who had been disaffected, gave " satisfaction," and returned to 
the church in January 7, 1735. — N. 



28 

tors of churches in the town of Boston, were present 
and assisted. 

This, with the other causes before mentioned, led 
part of the members of the church to separate, and 
absent themselves from communion. These offended 
brethren formed a society, built a meeting-house,^ and 
maintained their separation for a number of years. 
There is no account that they ever had a minister. 
It is more than probable, that they met together, sung, 
prayed, and exhorted one another. But in process of 
time, their zeal abated, their society dwindled, their 
meeting-house decayed, some died, others sold and 
removed ; and a number of years after they had been 
admonished and suspended by the church, those who 
remained in town returned, made concessions to the 
church, and were restored to their former standing, 
and admitted to communion. 

Thus we see that this society, formed by prejudice 
and passion, when the fever of the moment had 
abated, sunk and disappeared. 

This difficulty, however, which originated in the 
year 1731, was not completely settled till the year 
1738. 

As the Rev. Samuel Barrett's ministry was lengthy, 
honorable, and successful, I shall divide it into five 
different periods of ten years each, except the last, 
which was about eight years and three months. 

In the first ten years of his ministry, there were 
146 admitted to full communion ; ^ 58 owned the cov- 
enant ; 206 received the ordinance of baptism ; and 
41 couples were joined in marriage. 



' This meeting-house stood near the dwelling-house of Walter McFarland, 
Esq.— N. 

^ The first person admitted into full communion with the church, was Mrs. 
Martha Gibbs, October 25, 1724. She died April 29, 1747, aged 43. — N. 



29 



In the second ten years of his ministry there was 
a difficulty existing between this church and the 
churches of Framingham and Shrewsbury, respecting 
the admission of members from those churches who 
had not been regularly recommended and dismissed. 
After repeated exertions to settle it, a council was 
called, consisting of the Rev. Mr. Cheever of Rumneij- 
Marsh,' Rev. Mr. Moody of York, Rev. Mr. Wise of 
Berwick, Rev. Mr. White of Gloucester, Rev. Messrs. 
Thatcher, Webb, Dr. Sewall, Prince, Gee, and Mather, 
pastors of churches in the town of Boston, with their 

delegates. 

The 25th day of June, 1735, was appointed for the 
council to meet. When it was ascertained that this 
large, learned, and venerable ecclesiastical council 
could not be convened, on account of the distance, 
season of the year, etc. the church voted to strike out 
Mr. Moody, Mr. White, and Mr. Wise, and send to 
the church in Sudbury ; but the council were provi- 
dentially detained from meeting. The church then 
voted to send again to the same council, with the 
addition of the church in Berwick. Voted, That the 
third Wednesday of September be the time for the 
council to meet. Voted, also, to add Mr. Moody, and 
his son from York, to the council. 

This ecclesiastical council convened at the time 
and place, and after mature consideration of the sub- 
ject, they resulted in favor of the doings of this church. 
The clmrch voted thanks to the council, requested the 
Rev. Mr. Gee of Boston to be present at the reading 
of the result, and voted to comply with the resuh of 
the council. 

In this period, that is, from Sept. 2, 1734 to Sept. 



'Now Chelsea. — H. 



30 

2, 1744, there were 90 admitted to full communion, 
42 owned the covenant, 289 were baptized, and 44 
couples were joined in marriage. 

In the third period of ten years of the Rev. Mr. 
Barrett's ministry, there were troublous times. Mr. 
Whitefield,' Buel, Tennant, and other ministers were 
travelUng throuf^h the country, and preaching with 
uncommon animation and success. No doubt, by 
their doctrines, zeal, and oratory, they did vast good ; 
but like all other human beings, they were imperfect, 
and sometimes indiscreet. Mr. Whitefield acknowl- 
edged very freely, the last time^ he travelled through 
the country, that he had done ivrong, in speaking 
against the standing order of ministers as he had done 
formerly; that he should not have done it, had he 
been more acquainted with them. These animated, 
ardent preachers, drew away the affections of many 
people from their own ministers. 

At this time Mr. Barrett, for a season, lost the confi- 
dence and affections of some of the most serious and 
pious people in town. The late Deacon Moses Haven 
and others, absented themselves from Mr. Barrett's 
ministry, and joined with the Rev. Mr. Reed's society 
in Framingham ; sometimes hearing him, and some- 
times the Rev. Mr. Frost of Milford: but when the 
fervor of their affection abated, they returned to this 
Society, respected Mr. Barrett, lived under his minis- 
try, and were edified. About this time the Rev. Roger 
Price,^ a clergyman of the Episcopalian order, came to 

'Mr. Whitefield prea<'hcd once in Hopkinton, in the autumn of 1740, on the 
common, in the open air; and in allusion to Mr. Barrett, whom he held in great 
contempt, he prayed, that " that dumb dog might have power to bark." — N. 

"In 1769. — N. 

'The Rev. Roger Price, commissary of the Bishop of London, wa.s appointed 
rector of King's Chapel, Boston, in 1729; which office he held until 1747, when he 
returned to England in the " Mermaid man-of-war." Sir Henry Frankland, whose 



81 

this town, purchased a large tract of land, built a 
church, and endowed it with a glebe containing one 
hundred and seventy acres ; preached here about three 
years, and returned to England. Soon after this, he 
sent the Rev. Mr. Troutbeck,i who officiated here for 
some time, and then removed. Since his removal, 
there have been only a few solitary instances of that 
mode of worship for nearly sixty years.^ I have never 
heard but what the Rev. Mr. Barrett and the Rev. Mr. 
Price lived in great harmony, though they were of dif- 
ferent religious denominations, and lived within a few 
rods of each other. And we have the more reason to 
believe this, from the circumstance, that the descend- 
ants of the Rev. Mr. Price have been unusually kind 
and beneficent to the descendants of the Rev. Mr. 
Barrett. During this period, that is, from Sept. 2, 
1744 to Sept 2, 1754, 26 were admitted to full com- 
munion, 43 owned the covenant, 288 were baptized, 
and 44 couples were joined in marriage. 

In the fourth period of ten years of the Rev. ]\Ir. 
Barrett's ministry, that is, from Sept. 2, 1754 to Sept. 
2, 1764, the state of this people was more tranquil 
and happy. Mr. Barrett's character was established, 
his wisdom had been manifested, and his stability was 
undoubted. He had sustained the office of a gospel 
minister for thirty years. He had stood firm and un- 
shaken through times of violence, intrigue, and faction. 
Neither contention, nor division, nor separation, could 
divert him from his course. Mr. Barrett was not an 

romantic histoiy would make an entertaining volume, built a Manor-house in Hop- 
kinton, about the middle of the last century : and, together with a few other church- 
men, sustained the Rev. Mr. Pi-ice in his endeavors to establish an Episcopal church 
in the town. — N. 

' Appointed assistant rector of King's Chapel in 1755, which office he held until 
1776. Vide Greenwood's History of King's Chapel. — N. 

^ Some years since, a new church was erected, and public worship is attended 
some part of the time. — H. 



32 

animated preacher, but he was sensible, orthodox, and 
exemplary. The Historical Society of Massachusetts 
have published his character as follows: "He was a 
pious, good Christian, a man of great candor, and good- 
nature." This appears to me, in some measure, to 
fall short of his real excellence ; they might have 
added, a man of great stability and perseverance.i 

In this period, he admitted 31 persons to fall com- 
munion, 72 owned the covenant, 337 were baptized, 
and 70 couples were joined in marriage. 

In the last period of the Eev. Mr. Barrett's ministry, 
which consisted of eight years and three months, his 
activity abated ; his faculties were diminished ; but in 
this period he admitted 15 persons to full communion, 
32 owned the covenant, 193 were baptized, 52 couples 
were joined in marriage, but we have no account of 
deaths. 

Mr. Barrett called a church meeting, Dec. 2, 1771, 
for the purpose of choosing a colleague pastor to assist 
him in the decline of hfe. But "by reason of age and 
infirmity," as the records state, he was unable to pre- 
side at said meeting; however, the church proceeded, 
and unanimously made choice of Mr. Elijah Fitch for 
a colleague pastor. On the 15th day of January 1772, 
the Rev. Elijah Fitch was ordained; and on the 11th 



'The Rev. Samuel Barrett was born in Boston, a. d. 1700, and died Dec. 11, 
1772, aged 72. His wife. Ax.v.v, died Oct. 19, 1771, aged 69. Samuel, their only 
child, was horn in 1726, was married to Mary Caswell, Feb. 9, 1758, and died, March 
10, 1800, leaving two children, John, born 1759, and Anna, in 1761. Anna was 
married to Thomas Frceland, Jr., in 1781. John was a good classical scholar, and 
was by profession what might be termed an " itinerating schoolmaster." Although 
wayward and eccentric in his habits, his skill as a teacher was such as to procure 
him pupils wherever he went. He is the author of an English grammar, which 
has at least the merit of originality. There is a very humorous '"critique," by Ed- 
ward Everett, on this grammar, in one of the early numbers of the North American 
Review. 

Mr. John Barrett died April 4, 1821, aged 62, leaving two children, Oklando 
and Clarissa, both of whom are still living. — N. 



33 

of the December following, the Rev. Samuel Barrett 
died, in the seventy-second year of his age, and the 
forty-ninth year of his ministry. Thus he died, like 
God's ancient and faithful servant Job, " being old and 
full of days." 

As the trustees of Hopkins's donation to Harvard 
College gave Mr. Barrett one hundred acres of land, 
adjoining this meeting-house, for his own personal use 
and behoof forever, because he was the first minister; 
so also they gave him another hundred acres of land, 
which was given to him, his heirs, assigns, and suc- 
cessors; which is called the ministerial land,' and is 
now in my possession. As Mr. Barrett lived at a time 
when black people were slaves,^ and had them for 
servants ; and besides this, had in Boston wealthy and 
benevolent connections, by whose liberality he was 
famished with such things as he needed ; and in 
addition to this, had d£70, with the cutting and carting 
his firewood, for his annual salary ; we have reason 
to believe he had a comfortable support, though the 
people were generally poor. The Rev. Mr. Barrett left 
but one child, a son, who departed this life March 10, 
1800, who was exemplary, industrious, and inoffensive. 

The Rev. Elijah Fitch was ordained, as we have 
before said, on the 15th day of January, 1772; almost 
eleven months before the death of the Rev. Mr. Bar- 
rett. Mr. Fitch was a native of Connecticut ; born in 
the town of Windham ; educated at Yale College ; 

' The original vote of the trustees stands recorded thus : — 

Feb. 5, 1711, Voted, " To lay out 100 acres of land for the ministry in such con- 
venient place and manner as they shall find most suitable for that use." Voted 
" that a hundred acres of land shall be laid out for the first minister that shall be or- 
dained and settled in the town, to be for him and his heirs for the term of 99 years 
from the 25th of March last past, free from payinp: any rent," and ''also that 100 
acres shall be laid out for the school, for a training-field, and burying-yard." — N. 

^ The whole number of negro slaves iu Hopkinton, in the year 1755, sixteen years 
of age and upwards, was fifteen. — N. 

5 



34 

graduated in the year 1765. He was a man of great 
powers of muid. He possessed a sound judgment. 
He was somewliat reserved in mixed companies, but 
in the pulpit he was remarkably eloquent. He was 
unassuming; a man of meekness and candor ; a man 
of humility and benevolence ; he was patient, indus- 
trious, and persevering. His life was spent in one 
continual series of exertion for the good of his church, 
people, and family. Perhaps no man, with his advan- 
tages and income, could have left his family in better 
circumstances than he did. 

Mr. Fitch was not rigid in his religious opinions ; he 
was considered a moderate Calvinist. He was re- 
spected by his own people, and esteemed by the neigh- 
boring religious societies. During his ministry, which 
lacked one month of seventeen years, he admitted 37 
persons to full communion, 100 owned the covenant, 
42-3 were baptized, 189 couples were joined in mar- 
riasre, and in this time there were 316 deaths. In the 
first year of Mr. Fitch's ministry there were 39 deaths; 
20 of them were occasioned by the canker. 

In the year 1775, when the army lay in and about 
Cambridge, there were 45 deaths; 29 of these were 
occasioned by the dysentery. This was probably the 
greatest mortality that has taken place in any one 
year since the town was settled. In the year 1788 
there were only ten deaths; the Rev. Elijah Fitch 
was the last of that number. 

When the town voted to concur with the church in 
giving Mr. Fitch a call to settle with them in the min- 
istry, they gave him $ 444,44 for his settlement, and 
$200 annually for his salary. This was at a time 
when provisions were low, land was cheap, labor 
easily obtained, and at a moderate price. Within 
three years of this time, paper money was emitted, 



35 

and it depreciated from one degree to another, till Mr. 
Fitch's salary, for a year, would only pay a common 
hired man for six months' labor. The Rev. Mr. Fitch 
was hberally educated, — regularly introduced into the 
ministry, — necessitated to keep an horse to enable 
him to discharge the duties of his office, to attend fu- 
nerals, visit the sick, etc., to board his hired man, and 
himself^ and then his whole salary, for a year, would 
only pay a hired man for six months' labor! ! 

Are there no bounds to oppression, injustice, and 
cruelty? I confess for myself I know of none. This 
was in the time of the revolutionary war, when our 
liberties were in danger, and our country in distress; 
but after the peace, the town had so much sense of 
honor and duty, as to raise Mr. Fitch's salary from 
£Q0 to £70 lawful money, and that continued to be 
his salary while he lived. 

But after Mr. Fitch's death, the town had so little 
compassion on the widow and fatherless, that they 
took the ministerial land into their own hands, without 
any lawful right, and applied the profits of that to their 
own use, which was given by the trustees of Hopkins's 
donation to Harvard College, "to the Rev. Samuel 
Barrett and his successors in the ministry." 

However, Mr. Fitch was not only an industrious 
man himself but he had an industrious family. He 
left an amiable and pious widow,^ and five children. 
The eldest daughter, who had professed and practised 
religion while she was well, sickened and died about 
five years after her father. The eldest son is the Rev. 
John Fitch of Danville, in the State of Vermont, who 
has been minister of that town for more than twenty 

' Since dead. Her maiden name was Hannah Fuller. She died Feb. 7, 1824 

at the age of 80. — N. 



36 

years, and is now one of the most respectable minis- 
ters in that State.i 

The eldest daughter, now living, is with her mother, 
and well known to the generality of this assembly. 
The 3^oangest son is Deacon Elijah Fitch, chosen to 
that office by an uncommon unanimity, having had 
all the votes except his own, or all but one except his 
own. And the youngest daughter is Mrs. Betsey 
Rawson, the wife of the Rev. Natlianael Rawson of 
Hardwick, in the State of Vermont.'-^ 

All amiable characters, all professors of religion, all 
of one denomination, adorning their profession by a 
pious life. 

Whose descendants can vie with the descendants 
of the Rev. Elijah Fitch? 

It is true, the family were never wealthy, but they 
have always been respected. Such was the rise, prog- 
ress, character, and success, and such the descendants, 
of the Rev. Elijah Fitch. 

In the former part of his ministry he enjoyed good 
health, and an uncommon share of activity ; but two 
years before his death, he was unwell and unable to 
preach through the winter. In the spring, he recov- 
ered partially, was able and continued to preach till 
the April preceding his death. The Rev. Elijah Fitch 
lived beloved and died lamented by his numerous 
acquaintance and friends. He departed this life Dec. 
16, 1788, in the forty-third year of bis age, and seven- 
teenth year of his ministry.^ 

Thus we see " one generation passeth away, and 

' He has since been dismissed. — H. 

* Since dead. — H. 

2 '' No man, " says a writer speaking of Mr. Fitch, in the Mass. Hist. Coll., " ever 
more feelinfrly participated in the happiness or misery of his fellow-men, than he; or 
better filled the several offices of pastor, husband, parent, friend, neighbor, and towns- 
man." 

Mr. Fitch was a fine scholar and a poet. He left a poem of several cantos in blank 



37 

another generation cometh ; " and passeth away, " but 
the earth abideth forever." 

Not only the ministers, but the people have been 
dying from year to year. In the 40 years last past 
there have been not less than 700 deaths; and is it not 
reasonable to suppose that in the 60 years preceding 
there were as many deaths as there have been in the 
40 years following? Admitting this to be a reasonable 
calculation, we may conclude there have been since 
the incorporation of the town, 1,400 deaths; which is 
equal to the number of our present inhabitants. After 
the funeral of the Rev. Mr. Fitch, the bearers supplied 
for a considerable time, and then candidates were 
employed. 

The Rev. Solomon Adams late of Middleton, de- 
ceased, was your first candidate. Rev. Joshua Cush- 
man late of Winslow, Rev. Stephen Baxter late of 
Western, Rev. Pearson Thurston late of Somers- 
worth. Rev. Alden Bradford, formerly of Wiscasset, 
now Secretary of State for this Commonwealth,^ Rev. 
Gordon Dorrance of Windsor, and a Mr. Stone of 
Shrewsbury, who preached here four Sabbaths, the 
two last in December 1790 and the two first in Jan- 
uary 1791. The weather was unfavorable, and the 
travelling bad, and in no one of those Sabbaths were 
there so many as thirty persons assembled in this 
house to worship God ! ^ 

At this time your present minister was engaged to 
come and preach to this people as a candidate. He 

verse, entitled the " Beauties of Religion," which contains passages of considerable 
poetic merit. He also published an eloquent sermon on the war, which breathes forth 
the true spirit of religious and civil liberty. 

The favorite amusements of Mr. Fitch were angling and the chase, in which 
exercises Dr Wilson, Maj. Price, and other gentlemen of that day, used often to 
engage with him. — N. 

^ Late Secretary of State for this Commonwealth. — H. 

*The towa at this time contained 1,317 inhabitants. — N. 



38 

was employed by a committee consisting of Squire 
M'Farland, Mr. Henry Mellen, and Dr. Stimson, Esq. 
After preaching here for three months, from the third 
Sabbath in January, then being absent a few weeks to 
fulfil a former engagement, he returned to preach to 
this people, and on the May following, received a 
nnanimous call from the church to settle as their 
pastor. On May 19tli the town "voted to concur with 
the church, provided Mr. Howe consents to admit 
children to baptism, whose parents are in the half-way 
covenant, so called." 

The half-way covenant was a scheme devised by 
our forefathers, assembled in synod, 1662, to determine 
who were the proper subjects of baptism ; and they 
decided, " that church members, who were admitted 
in minority, understanding the doctrine of faith, and 
publicly professing their assent thereto, not scandalous 
in life, and solemnly owning the covenant before the 
church, wherein they give up themselves and children 
to the Lord, and subject themselves to the govern- 
ment of Christ in his church, their children are to be 
baptized." 

This scheme inclined persons, who had no reason 
to think themselves qualified to partake of the Lord's 
supper, to make this kind of profession and have their 
children baptized. At this time, there were probably 
more than twice the number who belonged to the 
half-way covenant, than there were who belonged to 
the church in full communion; for my reverend pre- 
decessor had admitted 100 to tliat covenant, and only 
37 to full communion, during his ministry. This call 
of the town was presented by a large and respectable 
committee, consisting of Dea. Moses Haven, Mr. Jacob 
Gibbs, Col. John Jones, Dea. Stephen Kinsman, Mr. 
Barachias Morse, Col. Nathan Perry, and Maj. William 



39 

Price. When the call was presented and read, I took 
occasion to observe to the committee, that I had never 
been convinced that the half-way covenant could be 
supported by Scripture, and I could not consent to 
baptize in that way, till I was convinced ; and if that 
was a fixed condition in the minds of the town, I could 
give them an answer at that time as well as any other. 
Mr. Morse inquired if that was the only objection I 
had to settling here? to which I answered, it appeared 
to be the greatest. Upon which it was proposed to 
have another town meeting, and see what compro- 
mise could be made. 

When the town assembled, I attended, and when 
called upon stated, " That no difference in sentiment 
respecting the half-way covenant, so called, should 
prevent me from exchanging with any of the regular 
gospel ministers in this neighborhood ; and although 
it does not appear to me right, to administer the ordi- 
nance of baptism in that way, — and I cannot consist- 
ently do it before I am convinced it is right, — yet I 
think I feel myself disposed to give other people the 
same liberty, with respect to religion, I take for myself 

"Therefore, whenever I exchange, if the minister 
with whom I exchange thinks he can conscientiously 
baptize children by the half-way covenant, and those 
who are in that covenant think they can conscien- 
tiously offer their children, I shall not feel myself 
under obligation to object against their doing what 
appears to them to be right. 

" And that every man may see that I am disposed 
to be fair and plain, and that no difficulty may ever 
arise concerning this matter, I say further, that, not- 
withstanding I am opposed to that practice ; yet, if the 
church and the minister with whom I exchange think 
proper to take any more into the half-way covenant, I 



40 

shall treat them in the same manner I do those who 
are already in that covenant." 

This town meeting was on July IS, 1791, at which 
time the town voted "to concur with the church in 
giving Mr. Nathanael Howe a call to be their gospel 
minister, upon the proposals Mr. Howe has now of- 
fered." 

Also, "voted to ratify the doings of the town on the 
19th of May last, respecting Mr. Howe's settlement 
and salary ;" that was, to give ^200 settlement, and 
£70^ salary, in addition to the improvement of the 
ministerial land. 

Our pious forefathers, with good intent, no doubt, 
devised the halfway covenant. Being alarmed at the 
declining numbers of the church, and the correspond- 
ing increase of the unbaptized, depending on human 
wisdom and distrusting the divine faithftdness, this 
plan was devised and adopted : and when it was 
introduced into the churches, it occasioned contentions, 
divisions, and separations ; as you may see by reading 
Mather's Magnalia. When it was discovered that its 
tendency was to destroy the church; — for if every 
person joined in that way, there would be no church; 
— when it was discovered that its tendency was to 
injure the persons received, by making them think 
they had done their duty, when they had not; and to 
pervert the ordinance of baptism, by administering it 
to unsuitable subjects; — it was opposed both by min- 
isters and churches. And it occasioned as much 
contention and opposition to lay it aside, as to intro- 
duce it. That erroneous practice is now dead ; only 
14 have been baptized by that covenant since my 
ordination; none within 15 years last past; and none 
have been admitted since my induction to office. 

' £70 = $233,33. — N. 



41 

In the first year of my ministry, I leased a part of 
the ministerial common^ to Maj. Burnap, during my 
ministry ; the said Burnap was to clear the land, fence 
it, subdue the bushes, and keep the fences in good 
repair ; on these conditions I believed it would be as 
Taluable to my snccessor, as to myself This, how- 
ever, gave great offence. It occasioned a town meet- 
ing, which I attended ; but previous to the town meet- 
ing, I had agreed with Maj. Burnap to rescind the 
bargain. 

The town complained that I was making an unsuit- 
able use of the ministerial common; to which I 
replied, that the land was lawfully mine, during my 
ministry, for it was not given to the town, but to "the 
Rev. Samuel Barrett and his successors." I then com- 
plained that the town had been inattentive in their 
obhgations to me ; not having paid the salary they 
promised. For on Nov. 2, 1792, they granted my first 
year's salary, which was almost a month after the first 
year expired. And not one cent of the first year's sal- 
ary had been granted, assessed, or paid ; and at that 
time I owed no man in town a single shilhng. This 
difficulty was settled on Jan. 14, 1793, by my ofifering 
to relinquish my right to the ministerial common, on 
the condition, the town would pay the salary on the 
day they promised, or put it on interest. This was a 
good bargain both for me and the town, for it secured 
to me my salary, at the time appointed, which has 
been a great benefit ; and it secured to the town the 
ministerial common land, without any expense, pro- 
vided they punctually fulfilled their obligations to me.a 



* Land originally taken up by virtue of possessing the " ministerial," which was 
'■'■ qniircnt land." See jiau'C 25 — N. 

* No jieople in Ma.ssacliust-tts, or New England, have been more punctual in pay- 
ing their ministers salary, for more than twenty years last past, than the people of 
Hopkintou. — H. 

6 



42 

About this time, 'Squire McFarland and Mr. Henry 
Meilen, two of our principal men, left this Society and 
joined the Methodists, because they were dissatisfied 
with the doctrines here deUvered. But not finding 
themselves so agreeably situated as they expected, 
they returned to this Society. Mr. Meilen is since 
dead; and 'Squire McFarland' has manifested his 
regard to the Sabbath, and public worship, by attend- 
ing very constantly, though he has never approved of 
my religions or political sentiments.2 

At this time, a brother of the church left our com- 
munion, and joined the Methodists : the church dealt 
with him as an offender, and seeing he did not reform, 
excommunicated him. 

The church passed a vote May 13, 1790, the year 
before I came to town, that if any should omit praying 
with their families, or omit public worship, or commu- 
nion, or be found from time to time disguised with 
strong drink, they should be under the immediate 
admonition of the church. It was found that one 
brother did not pray with his family ; he was dealt 
with as an offender, and seeing he did not reform, was 
excommunicated. 

When the public took sides upon politics, your min- 
ister was a Federalist, though he was sensible a very 
great majority of the town were of different senti- 
ments. He believed then, as he believes now, that he 
ought to have more regard to his country, than to any 
particular part of it : and when he fias occasionally 



' Walter McFarland, Esq., was a gentleman of distiniruisliert abilities, and took a 
very active part in the cause of liberty during tiie struggle for our national indej)en- 
dence. He was in the army at Ticonderoga in 1776, was elected senator to the 
General Court in 1787, and died Aug. 5, 1829, at the advanced age of 85. His 
father attained the age of 100 years. — N- 

' 'Squire McFurlaad ii at present an Episcopalian, and a professed friend to all 
religions. — H. 



43 

preached political sermons, they have repeatedly occa- 
sioned uncomfortable feelings.^ 

Another difficulty your minister has had to encoun- 
ter, was the want of support. Avast change has taken 
place, in the expenses of dressing and living since my 
ordination, and yet no addition has been made to my 
salary.'^ 

When a candidate, I determined I would never set- 
tle, till I saw a reasonable prospect of a comfortable 
support ; and when settled, that I would never com- 
plain of my salary. I remained of this mind, till I 
had been your minister for fifteen years. 

Borne down with the fatigues of manual labor, 
pressed into the woods in the winter, to the plough in 
the spring, and into the meadow in the summer, to 
support my family comfortably, and fulfil my promises, 
I felt the business of the ministry was greatly neg- 
lected ; — that it was impossible for me to do what 
ought to be done in my profession, unless the people 
did more toward my support. 

I committed my thoughts to paper, then communi- 
cated them to four brethren of the church, then to the 
church as a body, and afterward to the town. 

As there has been much misunderstanding, and 
many misrepresentations upon this matter, I will read 
it again, and then the doings of the town thereon. 

" To the Brethren of the Church of Christ in Hopkinton. 
" Beloved Brethren : — 

" When you gave me a call to settle with you in the gospel ministry, and 
the town had concurred and made their proposals, I took the matter under 

' The Author commenced his political career, when Gov. Sumner was chosen to 
fill tlie chair of state [in 1797. — N.], and was one of seven in the town of Hopkin- 
ton, who gave him their votes, namely, Col Jones, Maj. Price, Dr. Stimson, Dr. 
Wils^on, Mr. Barachias Morse, Mr. Surra<;e, and himself — H. 

^ No addition has heen made to my salary, even to this day, though it has been 
often attempted, without my instrumentality. — H. 



44 

serious consideration. I considered the unanimity of the church and town, 
as favorable circumstances, and the proposals that were made with respect to 
my support, as reasonable, though not large. The ministerial land I was 
sensible was good, though the state of cultivation was very bad, and the fences 
extremely poor. It then appeared to me, if I should be favored with pros- 
perity, with the knowledge I thought I had of agriculture, that I should be 
able to support a family. "With those views I gave my answer in the affirma- 
tive, was ordained, and soon had a family. At this time every article of 
provision was low, labor was cheap, and my income was sufficient for my sup- 
port. But within two years from my ordination, money began to depreciate, 
and the price of labor to rise ; my salary has continued depreciating and labor 
rising, till it is not worth more than half what it was, when I was settled. 

" I have always been sensible of the difficulty of transacting money busi- 
ness with aoy people ; and from this impression have labored with my hands, 
to make prorision for my family, and fulfil my promises : I have scarcely ever 
suffered myself to make any complaints ; but I find at present, that my 
expenses are increasing, and my income decreasing. This has led me into 
considerable perplexity with respect to my duty. If I ask a dismission and 
remove, it must be with considerable loss of property. If I remain as I am, I 
see no reason to expect any better times. If I exert myself more in laboring 
with my hands. It must be disadvantageous both to you, and me ; for then I 
must neglect my professional business. If I adveitise my house and land for 
sale. It will appear precipitate. K I propose to the town to purchase it for 
the next minister, and ask them to dismiss me, I know not how this will ope- 
rate. I do not wish to leave the ministry ; but if I should ever remove, it Is 
full time, for I have probably spent the best part of my life among you. 
Plfteen years ago, the expense of candidate preaching was four or five dollars 
a Sabbath ; now It Is eight or ten. Then the members of our General Court 
had one dollar per day, now they have two dollars per day. A common 
laborer at that time, had $55, or $G0 per year ; now they have S130, S140, 
and some Si 50 a year. 

" Is It reasonable, then, for ministers to be satisfied with the nominalsum, 
when it is not worth more than half Its original value ? I make no pretence 
to any lawful claim ; but In point of ecpilty. Is It not reasonable ? I grant 
that when two parties have made an agreement, that one cannot dissolve It 
without the consent of the other. I am sensible It Is very difficult for us to 
know many things except what avc know by experience ; and, therefore, it is 
very difficult for any people to feel for their minister, because they are not 
in Ills circumstances. Brethren, we have lived In a good degree of harmony 
for years past, which I hope will never be interrupted. This Society, per- 
haps, enjoys as much harmony at present, as at any former period : and are 
abundandy able to make up the depreciation on my salary, if they are so 
disposed : but this must depend entirely on their choice. 



45 

" In these circumstances, brethren, request your ad^'ice. Shall I ask a 
dismission ? Or, shall I ask to have the depreciation made up on my falary ? 
Shall I ask the town to purchase my house and land ? Or shall I advertise 
it in a public paper ? Or oujjht I to remain satisfied as I am ? 

"It costs me this year $150 for one man's labor, who cannot do my 
business either winter or summer ; and if I add to this sum the reasonable 
expense of his board, it wUl amount to as much as the town pay to my sup- 
port. It will be said that the ministerial land is much more pioductive than 
formerly : this is true ; but how comes it to pass ? Is it not in consequence 
of the labor and expense I have been at, to cultivate and fence it ? Some 
years I have expended as much on the land, as the whole of the income. 

" If it should be said I have other income, I ask : Is it right for me to 
spend the property that was left to my wife, by her parents, while I am 
preaching to a people well able to support me ? AVhen, perhaps, by and by, 
she may be left in poverty and distress ? 

" If a fai-m be let out at the halves, the buildings and fences will soon be 
out of repair, and the land impoverished. If all the labor be hired to carry 
on a farm, and pay the other expenses, the income to the owner -will be but 
small. I say these things to show you my situation, and to convince you that, 
should I ask a dismission in a few months, j'ou ought not to think it unreason- 
able. If any should be disposed to make an addition to my salary, on account 
of the depreciation, this will be likely to make difficulty ; the people wiU not 
be agreed in it, and beside, no addition would be satisfactory, except it be 
granted to continue, till such times as labor and provisions fall in their prices 
as low as when I was ordained ; then I would relinquish it : and if they ever 
fall below what they were then, I -will consent to take less than £70 for my 
salary. I do not say these things, because I think the town would be wilHng 
to make up the depreciation in full, perhaps, not in part. If they made up 
what I thought was equal to half the depreciation, I should rest satisfied. As 
the relation between pastor and church is quite distinct from the relation 
between minister and people, I have thought it my duty to make this state- 
ment to you, before anything be said to the town, and to request your opinion 
and advice upon it. It is not my expectation, that anything should be done 
for the fifteen years that are past : and if the town would now state my salary, 
on labor, corn, rye, cider, butter and cheese, beef and pork, at the price they 
bore on the day of my ordination, I would consent to take £60 for my salary. 
K any should think it disadvantageous to the town for me to be dismissed 
and remove, they must know, on the least reflection, that it will probably be 
attended with more loss to me, than to any other person. 

" With the hope and expectation that you, brethren, will be enabled and 
disposed to advise me in this case to what Avill be wisest, and best, I subscribe 
myself your friend and pastor, in the faith and fellowsliip of the gospel. 

" Nathanael Howe." 



46 

Oct. 20, 1806. This was read to Dca. Joseph Walker, and three other 
brethren, namely, Benjamin Adams, I. Burnap, and Moses Chamberlain. 

Nov. 10, 1806. The church met at the request of their pastor, to give him 
their advice what he ought to do, in the present depreciated state of his 
salary, and they advised him to ask to have the depreciation made up. And 
he observed to them, that if that was their advice, he would thank them to 
carry it into effect They then voted to request the selectmen (a majority 
of whom were present, and members of the church) to call a town meeting 
within five weeks, to see if the town will add fifty per cent, to the salary, till 
such time as labor and provisions fall in their prices as low as when he was 
ordained. 

The town met on Dec. 15, 1806. Mr. Howe was called upon to read to 
the town the communication he had made to the church. Upon which the 
vote was put, " To feee if the town will (on account of the depreciation of 
money) add $116,6 7' to the yearly salary of the Rev. Nathanael Howe, till 
such time as labor and provisions fall in their prices as low as when he was 
ordained." Tliis passed in the negative by a large majority. 

Then Mr. Howe proposed to see if the town would add $116,67 till such 
time as the members of our General Court receive less than $2 per day for 
their services. This was negatived by a large majority. 

Then Mr. Howe proposed to see if the town will add $116,67 for seven 
years, from the first day of January next. This passed in the negative by a 
large majority. 

Then Mr. Howe proposed to see if the town will make up one half the 
depreciation on his salary from this time while he continues their minister- 
This passed in the negative by a large majority. 

_ Then Mr. Howe proposed to see if the town will in future give him S200 
for his annual salary, and average it on labor, corn, rye, cider, butter and 
cheese, beef and pork, at the prices they bore on the day of his ordination. 
This passed in the negative by a large majority. 

Then ^Ir. Howe proposed to see if the town will purchase his house and 
land and keep it for the next minister. This passed in the negative by a 
large majority. 

Then Mr. Howe proposed to see if the town will request the church by a 
vote to grant him a dismission. This passed in the negative by a large 
majority. 

Then Mr. Howe said he had but one proposition more to make ; which 
was to see if the town were willing he should publish the communication he 
had made to the church, and read to the town this day, and all the doings of 
the town thereon. And this also passed in the negative by a large majority. 
Attest, Ephraim Read, Town Clerk. 

1 This is fifty per cent, of £70. — N. 



47 

When my communication was read to Dea. Joseph. 
Walker, Maj. Burnap, Mr. Benjamin Adams, and 
'Squire Chamberlain, they lamented the circumstance, 
but thought it proper to lay the matter before the 
church for their advice. 

When it was read to the church, sixteen brethren 
were present ; fourteen of whom advised me to ask 
the town for an addition to my salary, and two were 
opposed to it. And in town meeting there were only 
three of the fourteen, who advised me to ask it, who 
held up their hands in favor of it ; namely, Dea. Joseph 
Walker, Major Isaac Burnap, and Mr. Benjamin 
Adams; and only three of the town; namely, 'Squire 
Stimson, Col. J. Valentine, and Mr. Samuel Goddard.' 

The reason of my fixing on that sum, and not being 
willing to accept of less, was because a less sum would 
do me no good. If I had an addhion to my salary, I 
must pay more attention to the ministry; and if not, I 
must continue to supply the wants of my family by 
the labor of my hands. It was plain the town were 
unwilling to make that addition, although it was only 
one half of what justice and equity required them to 
do; and it has always afforded me pleasure, to think 
I had opportunity to show, I did not value an hundred 
dollars, as much as the people generally did an hun- 
dred cents : for but few would have had more than 
one dollar annually to have paid, above the nominal 
sum, to have furnished me with as much as I needed. 
Some have supposed that the town did nothing that 
day, because they granted no money ; but in this they 
were greatly deceived ; for they convinced me, I could 
place no dependence on their justice and equity; and 

' The Reviewer in the Evening Gazette made a mistake, in stating that the 
" author attacked, by name, the persons who voted against an increase of his salary." 
On the contrary, he gave credit, hi] name, to all who voted in favor of it. — H. 



48 

that I must take care of myself, or perish. This 
opened my eyes in every direction, and employed my 
hands every day. 

As it has been frequently said, that the town would 
have done something handsome, had I not stipulated 
the sum which they must grant, or nothing, they have 
had reason since to think, that in this also they were 
greatly deceived ; for when the town had a meeting 
the next year, through the instrumentality of Dea. 
Fisk, to show their benevolence, and their regard to 
justice and equity, there was a tie ; — the Moderator, 
the late Col. Eames, could not determine the vote: the 
meeting was adjourned for two weeks, and at the 
expiration of that time there was a handsome majority 
in favor of doing nothing.^ 

You are sensible that my health has sometimes 
been poor, and my mind greatly depressed : poverty 
has stared me in the face. 

My brethren, may I ask a question; a plain, 
simple question? How shall I obtain your consent? 
Shall I take silence for consent ? Your countenances 
discover a willingness. 

The question is this: Do you know by what means 
I have become so ricli, as to have a great house, fin- 
ished and furnished ; a farm, a herd of cattle, a flock 

' I fin<l amons Mr. Howe's loose papers the following memovamla, drawn up ia 
1808, with the view of bringing the town to an issue in respect to his salary. 

" The salary is no reasonable compensation lor the services, though the services 
are poor. 

" ]f you can be united in any one of the three following propositions, I will remain 
your minister. 

" If not, I will take a dismission, provided a majority of the church and town will 
consent to it. 

" 1. I will remain your minister, and give you old sermons for the old salary. 

" 2. Or I will attend more to the business of my p-ofcssion and cease in a measure 
from manual labor, if you will add 50 per cent, to my .>ialavy, or, 

"3. If you will double the salary, 1 will apply myself wholly to my professional 
business ; and if it be in the power of my life, 1 will do as well by you, as I have 
done by the ministerial land." — N. 



49 

of sheep, horses, and money at interest ? I say nothing 
about my debts to-day.i 

Shall I answer the question ? The principal reason 
is this : because I have been doing your business, and 
neglecting my oiim. What is your business? Your 
business is to support your minister; and that is what 
I have been doing, for more than twenty years. And 
what is my business ? My business is to study, and 
preach ; and in this I have never abounded. It is true 
I have been absent from public worship not more than 
four or five Sabbaths, for twenty-five years; but I 
have frequently been present, and attempted to preach, 
when it has been mortifying to me, and could not 
have been edifying to you. I have sometimes admin- 
istered reproof; both to the church and the society, in 
a manner that has been thought to discover some 
degree of severity : but in these cases you have always 
had good sense enough to know, you richly deserved it. 

My object in preaching has been to explain, defend, 
and enforce, what have appeared to me the true doc- 
trines of the gospel, God's decrees ; for it must be glad 
tidings of great joy to all people, that God governs the 
world; — that his government is not only perfect, but 
universal, and lays the only solid foundation for fore- 
knowledge ; for nothing can be certainly foreknown, 
that is not fixed in the Divine decree. 

The divinity of Christ. This lays the only soHd 
foundation for the suflaciency of the atonement made 
for all mankind. 



^ The way for a people to make their minister rich, is not, to give him a reason- 
able salary, one sufficient for his support ; but a scanty salary, and try to starve him 
out ; that will open his eyes, and employ his hands. 

Solomon says, " The hand of the diligent maketh rich." But if a people wish to 
have a good minister, and faithful to them, they must be faithful to him. 

It is granted, that our cats and dogs are good for nothing, except they are kept 
short. But our horses, cows, and oxen must be kept well to do honor, and be 
profitable to their owners. 

7 



&0 

The doctrine of personal election from eternity to 
everlasting life, as the only doctrine that makes it 
absolutely certain that any of our sinful race will be 
saved. 

The doctrine of total depramty, as laying the only 
solid foundation for regeneration. 

Regeneration hy the agency of the Spirit of God, as 
laying the foundation for all holy exercises in the 
hearts of men. 

Justification hy faith alone, which is the same thing 
as divine forgiveness. 

The certain and final perseverance of the saintSj 
"through sanctification of the Spirit, and belief of the 
truth ;" the eternity of hell torments, and the duties of 
morality. I have always believed and always preached, 
that a good life is the best evidence of a good heart. 

I have aimed to persuade you to follow Christ ; but 
not in his circumcision, nor in his keeping the passover, 
nor in his baptism; for that was "to fulfil all right- 
eousness," — "to manifest Christ to Israel," and intro- 
duce him into the ministry. If you follow Christ in 
his baptism, you must be baptized without professing 
either faith or repentance. An innocent person cannot 
repent : — Christ professed no repentance ; and it 
would be absurd to suppose he professed faith in him- 
self The New Testament dispensation began, when 
the Sabbath was changed from the seventh to the first 
day of the week. " For where a testament is, there 
must also of necessity be the death of the testator." 
The death of Christ ratified the New Testament, and 
introduced the gospel dispensation. My object has 
been to persuade you to follow Christ in his patience, 
in his meekness, in his humility, in his self denial, in 
his forgiveness of injuries, in his piety to his Father, 
and benevolence to all mankind. 



51 



Dunn- my ministry among you, 84 persons have 
been admitted to full communion. There have been 
172 baptisms, 235 couples have been joined in mar- 
riage, 467 deaths, 27 members of this church have 
been recommended to the watch and fellowship of 
other churches, and 8 have been excommunicated ' 

Those gentlemen of this Society, who have some 
years past extended the hand of charity, in equity, for 
my relief; will receive my gratitude. 

Those ladies, who four years ago presented me 
with an elegant and costly surphce,' will accept my 
grateful acknowledgments. But my obligation for 
that favor, great as it was, bears no comparison with 
the gratitude I feel to those, who have expressed, by 
their practice, peculiar kindness and attention to Eliza,^ 
in her lengthy and distressing illness ; such kindnesses 
cannot be described, nor repaid;— may God reward 
them. If any have injured me, whether in word, or 
deed, they wiU accept my forgiveness. And if I have 
injured any, I have only to say, in the language of our 
Saviour : " When ye stand praying, forgive, if ye have 
aught against any; that your Father also, who is in 
heaven, may forgive you your trespasses." 

The Rev. Nathanael Howe was born in that part of 
the town of Ipswich which belongs to Linebrook 
parish, Oct 6, 1764; graduated at Harvard College 
1786 ; ordained pastor of the church in this town, Oct. 
5, 1791 ; and has continued in the ministry for more 
than twenty-four years.^ 

'July 20, 1825. Admissions 117, Baptisms 231, Marria-L-s 325, Deaths 673 
recommended to other churches 38, Excommunicated 9. — H. 

^1811. The amount subscribed for the surplice was $36,58.— N. 

3 Eliza, was the author's eldest daughter, who had been sick of a consumption for 
more than two years, and died the Wednesday following the delivery of this sermon 
in the 22d year of her age. — H. ' 

* Continued in the ministry for upward of 33 years. — H. 



52 



As I have given you an account of the pastors of 
this church, from the time it was formed; of the 
number of admissions, amounting in the whole to 
444 ; of the baptisms, amounting to 1,907 ; I will give 
you an account of the deacons. 



* Dea. Benjamin Burnap, 

* Dea. Joseph Haren, 

* Dea. Ebenezer Kimball, 

* Dea. Joseph Bixby, 

* Dea. Henry MeUen, 

* Dea. Jason Walker, 

* Dea. Moses Haven, 



* Dea. Stephen Kinsman, 

* Dea. Joseph Walker, 

* Dea. Abel Fisk, 
Dea. Samuel Walker,^ 
Dea. Elijah Fiteh,2 
Dea. James Freeland..3 



Those gentlemen who have received a liberal edu- 
cation from this town are : — 



Kev. Elias Haven,4 graduated at Harvard University in 

Rev. John Mellen,5 

Dr. John Wilson, " " " 

Eev. Benjamin Caryl,6 " " " 

Rev. Moses Adams,' " " " 

Dr. Jonathan Eames,^ " 

Rev. John Fitch,9 " 

Dr. GUbert Dench,'0 " 

Leonard Mellen, Esq.n " 

Rev. Daniel Lorlng,'^ " 

Rev. Josiah Moulton,i3 

Dr. Jeremy Stlmson,!^ " 

Rev. Isaac Jones, " 

Appleton Howe, a. b.i^ " 



Brown University, 

Harvard University, 
Brown University, 

Harvard Universitj', 
Williams College, 
Harvard University, 



1733 
1741 
1741 
1761 
1771 
1775 
1790 
1793 
1797 
1800 
1802 
1804 
1810 
1815 



» Dismissed March 8, 1818. "■' Died April 27, 1847, aged 68. 

3 Resigned Nov. 14, 1830. Samuel Morse, M. L. Buck, and Isaac V. Adams, 
have since been chosen. 

■» Originally settled in Franklin, Mass. 

^ Settled in Sterling, Mass., and subsequently in Hanover, Mass. 
6 Minister of Dover, Mass. '' Was settled in Acton, Mass. 

* Tutor at Cambridge, and afterwards physician in HoUiston, Mass. 
» Settled in Danville, Vt. '^ Of Boston. 

» A lawyer at Waterloo, N. Y. " Originally settled at Foxboro', Mass. 

" Settled at Oxford, Mass. " Of Dedham, Mass. 

'* Physician of Weymouth, Mass. 
The'names of those gentlemen of Hopkinton who have since received a liberal 



53 



Such has been the town, church, ministers, deacons, 
graduates, and such the state of society, for an hun- 
dred years. 

"What now remains is to conchide the subject with 
some reflections on what has been said, and some 
advice in the choice and treatment of another min- 
ister. 

" One generation passeth away, and another gener- 
ation Cometh : but the earth abideth forever." 

Your habits are so firmly fixed, that no reformation 
is to be expected during my ministry ; and, indeed, it 
would require more power in the Deity to effect it, 
than it did to create the world. For when he created 
the world, he had only to say : " Let there be light, 
and there was fight." He had no opposition. But to 
bring you to a sense of justice and equity, he must 
overcome your private, personal attachment to your 
own supposed vfoxmy interest ; and that would require 
more power than it did to create the world ! 

And beside, my life is so far spent, that, should you 
reform, it is doubtful whether it would produce any 
very beneficial effects on my labors. I mean to tell 
the whole truth without partiality, or respect of per- 
sons. 

I. Then, we see from this subject, that when a peo- 
ple are unjust to their minister, they do not know 
where they are going, any more than the man who 
goes to the tavern, into company, to the gambling- 
table, to intemperance, family quarreUing, poverty, 
sickness, death and hell! Such persons frequently 
think they are walking at liberty, when they are, m 



education are as follows: Mellen Chamberlain, B. U, 1827; Elias Nason B. U, 
1835; Benj. S. Corbett, B. U, 1837 ; Leonard Fitch, Burlington; James M.Phipps, 
B. U. 1842. — N. 



54 

reality, bringing themselves under the severest of all 
masters. 

Just so, quarrels, divisions, contentions, separations, 
meeting-houses, lawsuits, are the consequences of 
injustice to ministers. 

AVhen a people begin to step on the devil's ground, 
they do not know when they shall stop. 

n. We see from this subject the meaning of that 
part of the second commandment, which speaks "of 
visiting the iniquities of the fathers upon the children, 
to the third and fourth generation." The injustice of 
the fathers to their minister, falls on their children, in 
the loss of that religious order, instruction, and disci- 
phne, which they would have received, had the fathers 
been just and equitable; and it descends to the third 
and fourth generation, in contentions, divisions, and 
every evil work. 

III. We may see from this subject, what abundant 
gratitude ive ought to feel, to the creator and governor 
of the world, that we can live in so much harmony, 
when we have had so many things to disturb our 
peace. The halfway covenant, — religious sentiments, 
--politics, —church discipline; — and the want of 
justice and equity, in the support of the gospel!! 

All which now remains is, to give you some advice 
in your choice and treatment of another minister. 
" One generation passeth away, and another genera- 
tion Cometh: but the earth abideth forever." In a 
httle time more, this sacred desk will be left vacant by 
my dismission or death. This countenance you will 
see no more, in the land of the hving; the tongue 
which now speaks will be silent; and these eyes 
closed in death. Then, you will need another minis- 
ter. Will you receive the word of exhortation, from 



$5 

one who has had some experience in the gospel min- 
istry, and who thinks he wishes your temporal and 
spiritual good ? 

Look out a man of good natural understanding, of 
a good education, and a pious heart: and this you 
must learn, not so much from his profession, as prac- 
tice. For when men talk very freely of their own 
piety, we have reason to doubt their sincerity. " Empty 
vessels sound the loudest." 

When you have found a man of good natural abili- 
ties, of a good education, and pious heart ; settle him. 
Give him a generous and honorable support, and pay 
him punctually, as you have paid me. This you must 
do as a duty you owe to God, to yourselves, and your 
children. To enable him to apply himself to the work 
of the ministry, if his salary depreciate ten per cent, 
make it good ; if fifty per cent., make it good : if it 
depreciates to half its original value, double it : this 
you must do to convince him you mean to be honest; 
and that he has no occasion to be troubled about 
worldly things. 

Attend on his ministry constantly : you build school- 
houses, and support schoolmasters ; but of what con- 
sequence is this, unless you send your children to 
school ? Just so it is with respect to a minister. You 
may have a minister and pay him £70 salary, or 
seventy times seven, but if you do not attend on his 
ministry, it is all lost. 

Pray for him sincerely and piously ; this will bring 
you to the house of God in a suitable frame : this will 
prepare you to receive the gospel from his lips, and 
to be savingly benefited by its blessed effects. 

And one thing more. Live in peace among your- 
selves. Eph. 4:31, 32. " Let all bitterness, and wrath, 



56 

and anger, and clamor, and evil-speaking be put away 
from you, with all malice." — " And be ye kind one to 
another, tender-hearted, forgiving one another, even as 
God for Christ's sake hath forgiven you." 

If ye do these things, prosperity will attend you on 
earth, and heaven will be your eternal portion. 






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